WASHINGTON — Russian leader Vladimir Putin cannot not sign a peace deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky because Moscow views him as “illegitimate,” Moscow’s top diplomat said Sunday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the declaration in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” suggesting that Putin will not be able to make an agreement with him. 3

The Kremlin has used similar rhetoric in the past, but the stark remarks come as President Trump is coordinating with Putin and Zelensky to meet face-to-face for the first time since the onset of the war to sign a permanent peace deal.

“Irrespective of when this meeting might take place, and that must be very well prepared, the issue of who is going to sign the deal on Ukrainian side is a very serious issue,” Lavro

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