Russia’s Lavrov Says No Point in Inviting European Leaders to Ukraine Talks

I don't know what they would do at the negotiating table... if they are going to sit at the negotiating table with the aim of continuing war, then why invite them there?,

Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow

That there is direct contact between the Americans and the Russians is not a bad thing if it is about finding a way to a durable and lasting peace,

said a foreign ministry spokesman in Berlin

Mark RuttenATO chief

We have to end this in a way … that Putin will not capture one square mile or one square kilometer of Ukraine, ... I don’t think it will be a bad deal.”

Rutte said, adding

Alexander Stubbfinnish President

Would I prefer the United States not to be speaking directly with Russia and certainly having Ukraine and Europe involved? Yes, I would prefer that,

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said during an interview at the POLITICO Pub

Oleksiy Goncharenkoukrainian MP

Everyone who met with Kellogg here looks like he’s collecting information and not giving it,

said Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker

I think our problem in Europe quite often is that, you know, we talk a lot and we do a little. Right now the ball is in our court,

Stubb continued

Lindsey Grahamsenator

I don’t care if [Trump] meets Putin in Cleveland. I don’t care if they talk. I don’t care if they go on vacation. It doesn’t matter to me what you do as long as you get it right,

said Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and a close Trump ally

Mike Quigleymassachusetts

Only in the perverse world of Trump diplomacy is the larger invading country given more respect than the country that was invaded — and that the country responsible for horrific war crimes was given the best chance for peace,

said Mike Quigley, a Democrat from Illinois and co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus

I don’t know where this came from, or what they expect to be the outcome of these talks where we are not invited.”

One Ukrainian official at the conference expressed exasperation at the news, saying

Volodymyr Zelenskyypresident

I saw that someone said that there would be a meeting in Saudi Arabia. I do not know what it is,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday

Well, this is not a serious conversation, it seems to me.”

On the prospect of talks without Ukraine at the table, he said

There is nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing,

he said

If this (Ukraine-Russia) war ends the wrong way, he (Putin) will have a surplus of battle-tested soldiers who know nothing but killing and looting,

he said, citing intelligence reports saying

Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement. And the same rule should apply to all of Europe,

he said