(MENAFN) Russia's top diplomat declared Sunday that any future meeting between Moscow and Washington hinges entirely on U.S. decision-making.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that President Donald Trump had extended an invitation to President Vladimir Putin for talks in Budapest, which the Kremlin leader accepted. "President (Donald) Trump suggested to President (Vladimir) Putin to meet in Budapest. President Putin said, yes, let's go into the preparatory work," Lavrov told a Hungarian YouTube channel in an exclusive interview.

However, the Russian official emphasized that the ball now sits firmly in Washington's court regarding summit preparations. Moscow maintains its willingness to engage, but awaits clarity from the Trump administration on next steps.
Lavrov referenced the diplomatic confusion surrounding the proposed meeting, noting the invitation's uncertain status. "We are polite people. And when we are invited, we say, yes, let's agree how and where and when. And then this invitation is canceled, as President Trump said yesterday in the White House. Later they said that 'cancel' means 'postpone.' It's up to those who initiated the process," he stated.

The foreign minister described recent diplomatic exchanges with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as sufficiently productive to obviate immediate follow-up meetings. "The initiative was on the part of the United States. As I said, I heard that the State Department issued a communique saying that it was a good and productive phone conversation between Rubio and Lavrov. And it was so good that for the time being, we don't need any meetings," Lavrov explained.

Regarding future diplomatic engagement, he added: "After we talked with Marco Rubio regarding following up on the results of (the August summit between Trump and Putin in) Alaska, he did not mention any new meetings or conversations. And I did not raise the issue, because the entire initiative was coming from the United States. And we would be ready to move as the Americans feel comfortable for themselves."

Lavrov disclosed that discussions about Ukrainian territorial arrangements are proceeding through multiple diplomatic channels, with Putin engaging leaders including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The Russian official justified Moscow's territorial demands by citing ongoing Ukrainian military operations against Russian regions. "We need a buffer zone. Because Ukrainians continue shelling, bombing, droning Russian territory, including the territories which never were challenged by anybody. I mean, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk," he asserted.

Lavrov reiterated the Kremlin's unchanged objectives regarding Ukraine: ensuring Kyiv's neutrality, blocking NATO membership, preventing nuclear weapons acquisition, and protecting Russian-speaking populations.

He accused European powers of attempting to control peace negotiations through ceasefire demands. "Now the Europeans are trying to dominate the agenda with the rhetoric about ceasefire," Lavrov claimed, suggesting that both Ukraine and European nations oppose direct Russia-US dialogue while pressuring Washington for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The foreign minister also criticized Finland's NATO accession as destabilizing, arguing the alliance expansion undermines regional security.

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