Nato<\/a> defense chiefs held a \u201ccandid discussion\u201d on Wednesday about what security guarantees they could offer Ukraine<\/a> \u2013 as Russia<\/a> warned that any talks without its participation were a \u201croad to nowhere\u201d.<\/p>\n Italian admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of Nato\u2019s military committee, said that 32 defence chiefs from across the alliance held a video conference amid a diplomatic push to end the fighting.<\/p>\n He said there was a \u201cgreat, candid discussion\u201d in the call. \u201cWe are united, and that unity was truly tangible today, as always,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Assurances that it won\u2019t be invaded again in the future are one of the keys for getting Ukraine to sign up for a peace deal with Russia. It wants Western help for its military, including weapons and training, to shore up its defences, and Western officials are scrambling to figure out what commitments they might offer.<\/p>\n But Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov<\/a> dismissed efforts to work on security arrangements in Ukraine without Moscow\u2019s involvement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Firefighters in Odesa tackle the aftermath of overnight attacks by Russia (State Emergency Service of Ukraine)<\/p>\n![\"Firefighters](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Firefighters-in-Odessa-after-drone-attack.png\")
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