Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Western governments are "looking for a pretext" to block peace negotiations with Ukraine, accusing them of trying to impose new sanctions that would, in his words, undermine the diplomatic track already under way. In an interview broadcast on state-run Rossiya television on 24 August, Lavrov argued that the pressure campaign violates the process launched jointly by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Lavrov pointed to the 15 August summit between Putin and Trump in Alaska, followed by a 18 August meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies, as evidence that negotiations are progressing. He said Moscow hopes Western attempts to derail the talks "will fail." The minister reiterated that Putin is ready to meet Zelensky provided all agenda items are fully prepared in advance, repeating remarks he first made on 21 August. Lavrov criticised Zelensky for insisting on preconditions and warned that Russia will not attend a hastily arranged summit without detailed groundwork.