Issue of Ukrainian signatory's legitimacy to agreements with Russia needs to be resolved - Lavrov

MOSCOW. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Russia hopes that the issue of the Ukrainian signatory's legitimacy will be resolved when and if it comes to signing agreements on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"Our president has said on multiple occasions that he is ready to meet, including with Mr. Zelensky, with understanding that all issues that need to be addressed at the summit level are well considered and experts, ministers prepare respective recommendations. Of course, with understanding that when and if - I hope when - it comes to signing the future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person to sign the agreements on the part of Ukraine will be resolved," he said.

Vladimir Zelensky "has yet to renounce his order issued three years ago, which explicitly prohibits negotiations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov said.

"Obviously, his activity regarding the arrangement of a summit with the Russian leader also aims to demonstrate his alleged constructive attitude to the settlement processes. Yet in fact it substitutes the serious, hard, challenging work on the coordination of principles of the lasting resolution of the crisis, substitutes with such effects [...] because he fears that the attention given to him will fall, which is already happening," Lavrov said.

The Ukrainian leadership has been demonstrating a lack of interest in a lasting resolution of the conflict, Lavrov said.

"Its representatives are making peculiar comments on the current situation and indicating directly that they have no interest in a lasting, long-term, fair settlement," Lavrov said.

"The goals the incumbent Ukrainian leadership still has - and, obviously, these goals are fueled by the Western sponsors of the Kiev regime - are directed against the efforts taken by [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump, whom we are cooperating with energetically and practically in the search for lasting, long-term ways of settlement," he said.

As to possible security guarantees for Ukraine discussed in the West, Lavrov said, "In fact, all of these plans imply the provision of guarantees through intervention, a foreign military intervention into a certain part of the Ukrainian territory."

"I very much hope that those hatching such plans simply want attention, I also hope they realize that this is completely unacceptable to the Russian Federation and all sober-minded political forces in Europe," Lavrov said.

"Russia has always wanted an honest talk," he said.

"We support the security guarantees coordinated - please note - at the Ukrainian delegation's initiative in Istanbul in April 2022," Lavrov said.

"They were supported back then and they are supported now because they actually rely on the principle of the collective provision of security, the principle of indivisible security. Anything else, all the rest, everything unilateral are completely unviable ideas indeed," he said.