Russia Demands Role in Guaranteeing Ukraine’s Postwar Security

The New York Times ^ | Aug. 20, 2025, 1:46 p.m. ET | Anton Troianovski

[E. Pluribus Unum]

European and Ukrainian officials call the idea ludicrous, showing the large gaps in peace negotiations.

Russia’s top diplomat on Wednesday said the country would insist on being a part of any future security guarantees for Ukraine, a condition that European and Ukrainian officials widely see as absurd.

It was the clearest sign yet that enormous gaps remain in the negotiations over a possible end to Russia’s invasion. And it added to the uncertainty over how a European effort to rally a “coalition of the willing” to protect a postwar Ukraine, possibly with Western soldiers stationed inside the country, would fit into President Trump’s plans for a peace deal with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

“Seriously discussing issues of ensuring security without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere,” Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, told reporters in Moscow after a meeting with his Jordanian counterpart.

Kyiv’s supporters largely dismiss the idea that Russia could be a part of ensuring Ukraine’s future security, given that it launched its military intervention there in 2014 and its full-scale invasion in 2022. But Mr. Lavrov signaled that Mr. Putin had not budged from his insistence on having a decisive say over Ukraine’s future sovereignty as part of any peace deal.

“We cannot agree that now it is proposed that security issues, collective security, be resolved without the Russian Federation,” Mr. Lavrov said. “This will not work.”

The Trump administration has trumpeted a breakthrough in talks with Russia this month, claiming that Mr. Putin had accepted a proposal for the West to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as strong as Article 5 of the NATO charter, which stipulates that an attack on one alliance member is considered an attack on all.

Mr. Trump said on Monday that Mr. Putin had “agreed that Russia would...

[Red Badger]

Sure they can.

Just don’t attack them................

[Petrosius]

This was one of their demands at Istanbul. The idea is that the guaranteeing parties could not do anything unless there is unanimity among the them. In other words, as a guaranteeing power, Russia would have veto power over the actions of the others. Thus Russia could invade and then veto the intervention of any of the other powers. Slick, no?

[Texas Eagle]

Uhhhhh....yyyeahhh. You already play the most important role.

Crap! Was this a Babylon Bee story?

[1Old Pro]

What next, Putin demands to be named President of Ukraine, to help protect Ukraine.

[DesertRhino]

Well, they already intervened once for the security of Ukraine. The Budapest memorandum said Russia, the USA, and the British were guaranteeing Ukraine’s sovereignty. Everybody agreed that none of the signatories would invade.
Then DC and London overthrew the government in Kiev in a violent Nazi coup. After trying to negotiate with the Junta government we installed, Russia intervened when they wouldn’t stop killing people in the Donbass.

[Sunsong]

LOLOL

[rrrod]

Russia can’t even be trusted with the Olympics ffs. LOL

[rrrod]

Putin has lost his mind.

[Owen]

If you did deep enough you can find Lavrov comments of the past, maybe even pre war, when he was focused on the threat to the Caspian oil fields from the Donbas, and with a pro Russia Ukraine government, facing the threat of invasion from Poland or Romania. And so Russia would need to make provisions for Ukraine security to defeat those threats.

[USA-FRANCE]

“Then DC and London overthrew the government in Kiev in a violent Nazi coup.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><

You are living in a fantasy world apparently.

Here is the truth:
Past Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych (which you seem to support) wasn’t just a failed president — he was a Russian puppet who sold out his own country. A traitor through and through. Ukrainians saw it, resisted him, and rose up during the Euromaidan Revolution to claim their independence. That was Ukraine’s “1776 moment,” when ordinary people stood against tyranny.

Let’s not forget: Yanukovych gave the green light for his security forces to open fire on peaceful protesters in Kyiv, murdering over a hundred Ukrainians in cold blood. As if that wasn’t enough, he went crawling to Putin, begging Russia to send in troops to suppress his own people! That’s not just treason — that’s betrayal on steroids.

Instead of facing his nation like a man, he abandoned his post, looted Ukraine’s treasury, and fled to Russia with billions. He didn’t just betray Ukraine politically; he robbed it blind. Today, he’s a wanted criminal for high treason and abuse of power — hiding under Putin’s protection like the coward he is.

Yanukovych is the perfect symbol of what happens when leaders bow to Moscow: bloodshed, corruption, and national betrayal. And yet, Ukrainians proved that no matter how deep Russia tries to plant its agents, the spirit of freedom is stronger. Ukraine kicked him out then — and they’re still fighting to keep their independence now.