Lavrov: Russia wants to hold elections in Ukraine before signing peace deal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the second round of peace talks with Ukraine will take place, and that Moscow is in the final stages of drafting a memorandum.

This was reported by Russian Telegram channels with reference to Lavrov's speech.

The Russian foreign minister called the possibility of a meeting in the Vatican «unrealistic», arguing that negotiations between the two Orthodox countries would allegedly be «uncomfortable» for the Holy See.

Sergey Lavrov also noted that the timing and venue of the next meeting have not yet been determined, and the Russian side has no specific proposals.

According to him, the issue of the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be fundamental when signing a peace agreement.

«If the agreement is signed by those whose legitimacy no longer convinces anyone, their successors may question the agreements reached», he said.

Sergey Lavrov added that holding elections in Ukraine would be «the best option» to determine who could sign a peace agreement on behalf of Kyiv.

As a reminder, the European Commission has confirmed that the next direct talks between Ukraine and Russia may be held with the participation of the European Union and the United States.

It was also reported that after talking to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, Trump said the conversation was «very good», and announced Ukraine and Russia's intention to start negotiations on a ceasefire and end the war.

Vladimir Putin, for his part, called the conversation with the American president «meaningful, frank and generally useful». He added that Moscow is allegedly ready to work with Kyiv on a possible peace memorandum, but stressed the need for compromises that would satisfy both sides.

After his conversation with Donald Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the American leader stressed the importance of starting direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow. According to him, Donald Trump also expects Russia to provide clear signals on how it sees the ceasefire and further actions.