RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO — EDITORIAL USE ONLY — SHOTLIST: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUG. 21, 2025) (RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY - RESTRICTED) 1. RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SERGEY LAVROV AND INDIAN EXTERNAL MINISTRY SUBRAHMANYAM JAISHANKAR TAKING SEATS (TWO SHOTS) 2. SERGEY LAVROV DELIVERING SPEECH (Russian)MOSCOW, RUSSIA - AUG. 21 - RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY" HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO - EDITORIAL USE ONLY: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a news conference in Moscow on Thursday following his meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. On the situation in Ukraine, Lavrov said he had also briefed his Indian counterpart on recent contacts with the US. He said Moscow is considering how to implement the results of these contacts so that the security interests of all sides are ensured. Lavrov reiterated Russia's support for the principle of collective security guarantees for Ukraine, which Kyiv proposed in 2022. “Those principles, those security guarantees that were agreed upon—I emphasize—at the initiative of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul in April 2022, are supported by us, were supported then, and continue to be supported today because they are based on the principle of collective security assurance, on the principle of security indivisibility. Anything else, everything unilateral, is obviously futile,” he stressed. In contrast, he stated that Moscow rejects any security guarantees for Ukraine based on a confrontational logic designed to isolate Russia. He also stated that the deployment of foreign military forces in Ukraine is "completely unacceptable to Russia." Concerning the prospects for peace, Lavrov said statements by Ukrainian politicians demonstrate an unwillingness to end the conflict, contrary to US efforts. Regarding a potential meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, he stated that Putin is prepared as long as the discussions are well-prepared by experts and ministers. He also emphasized the importance of clarity regarding the “legitimacy of the individual representing the Ukrainian side during the signing process of any prospective agreements.” Lavrov also accused European countries of attempting to destabilize the peace process between Russia and Ukraine. “I sincerely hope that this conspiracy and adventure fail. He stated that he will continue to follow the path agreed upon by the Russian and US presidents during their meeting in Alaska and subsequent phone conversations,” he concluded.