Lavrov: Any Russia-US Peace Deal Would End Zelensky's Regime

Speaking at the ninth round of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council strategic dialogue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a peace agreement acceptable to both Russia and the United States would spell the end of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration. He argued that this prospect is why Kyiv is allegedly stalling the negotiations. Lavrov claimed Zelensky does not want talks and has disrupted them several times in the past.

Lavrov also accused the Ukrainian president of engaging in what he called self-promotion and clowning, pointing to Ukraine's reliance on European Union aid. He went on to claim that European leaders are encouraging strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure and are pushing for a victory for Zelensky even if it comes at the cost of a collapse in global markets.

Zelensky said Sunday that he had held talks with United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, about diplomatic efforts to end the war. In a post on X, he said they discussed the results of Ukrainian and American talks in Florida and were preparing the next steps in diplomacy. He stressed that the teams maintain virtually nonstop communication and that Kyiv keeps Washington informed about Russian strikes and air defense issues.

The statements came alongside competing US positions on sanctions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC News' Meet the Press that no one has been tougher on Russian sanctions than Trump, saying no measures had been lifted and that a sixty-day period exists to examine the situation. He said Trump only waived diesel restrictions and claimed the United Kingdom waived its embargo on Russian diesel and jet fuel in May, asking where the outrage from the rest of the world was. Separately, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that the main sanctions on Russia are all still on and that oil faces the tightest ever restrictions, with almost all Russian oil now having to go to China at discounted prices. Wright said the only way for Russia to export diesel is to reduce its conflict with Ukraine or agree to an energy ceasefire.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday that its forces struck a dry cargo ship roughly 50 kilometers southwest of Ukraine's port of Odessa. According to the ministry, the vessel was hit by a drone at sea while allegedly carrying military and dual-use cargo. The ministry described the strike as part of continued unmanned aerial vehicle operations against maritime vessels involved in delivering military supplies to Ukraine.