Russia would continue war during negotiations with Ukraine, Lavrov says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that Russia plans to continue the war while engaging in negotiations with Ukraine, despite extending an invitation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Moscow. This invitation is seen as a "huge gesture of goodwill" by Russia, according to Lavrov, who claimed that Zelenskyy has not rescinded a decree prohibiting interactions with Putin and his team.

The Kremlin appears willing to show goodwill, as suggested by Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who stated that Moscow would welcome Zelenskyy in the capital if he genuinely intends to negotiate with the Russian president. However, it remains uncertain if Russia will partake in the G20 summit scheduled for December 14-15, 2026, as the U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet decided whether to invite Putin, expressing his willingness to meet him only when a peace deal is reached.

Zelenskyy has consistently shown readiness for a face-to-face meeting with Putin, but the Kremlin has rejected talks at the leaders' level, insisting that a meeting with Zelenskyy can only occur in Moscow. On August 24, Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine, along with Trump's representatives and European officials, had developed a new joint plan to end the war, which includes a ceasefire, mutual troop withdrawals from the front line, and the creation of a buffer zone.

The following day, it was reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had secretly arrived in Moscow, potentially carrying a warning regarding Putin's potential mobilization plans and testing NATO's resolve. On August 31, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Russia's finance minister during the G20 summit to discuss Trump's peace plan for Ukraine.