Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview published on Sunday that a group of countries, including members of the UN Security Council, should take on the role of guarantor for Ukraine's security.

Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, Sergei Lavrov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have already discussed the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine, with the Russian leader referring to the failed framework proposed at the Istanbul consultations in 2022.

In those negotiations, Russia and Ukraine had considered the possibility of permanent neutrality for Kiev, in exchange for security guarantees from the five permanent members of the Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States), as well as from other countries, according to a draft agreement cited by Reuters.

In his new position, Lavrov stressed that a group of states, including members of the Security Council, should assume the role of guarantor for Ukraine. This group, he said, could also include countries such as Germany and Turkey.

The guarantors could ensure the security of Ukraine, which should be neutral, not join any military alliance and not possess nuclear weapons, Lavrov noted, according to a transcript of the interview released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

At the same time, he made it clear that the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO remains unacceptable for Moscow, reiterating that Russia demands protection measures for Russian speakers in Ukraine, while emphasizing that there should be a discussion on the issue of territories with Kiev.

Last week, Reuters reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding that Kiev cede the entire Donbas region, permanently abandon its ambitions to join NATO, remain a neutral state, and not allow the presence of Western troops on its territory.