In an interview with Russian media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would be ready to end the war only if several core conditions are met - the so-called “denazification,” “demilitarization,” and protection of the rights of Russian-speaking people.
He also said Russia demands the removal of “any threats to the Russian Federation,” specifically pointing to the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO.
Lavrov said Russian President Vladimir Putin set out this position back in June 2024.
The foreign minister also said Russia wants safeguards for minority rights in Ukraine, including restoring the status of the Russian language and “ending the persecution of the UOC” (Ukrainian Orthodox Church).
Lavrov singled out the awarding of fighters from the 12th Special Purpose Brigade “Azov,” claiming President Volodymyr Zelensky is honoring “neo-Nazi formations.” He said this leaves Moscow unsure how to view the Ukrainian leader.
The Russian minister highlighted what he described as the role of European countries that “are not ignoring the rise of nationalist sentiment in Ukraine.”
“Hungary on its own - and we should note its courage - insisted that among the conditions Ukraine must meet before talks (on EU membership) begin is the restoration of all of Ukraine’s obligations in the area of respect for minority rights. When some EU enlargement commissioner now says Ukraine is already ready, that it has fulfilled everything — that’s not true,” Lavrov said.
He also praised the approach of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which he said favors ending the war on the basis of durable agreements, contrasting it with the previous administration of former President Joe Biden. He said Russia is ready for talks, but only if all the positions he outlined are taken into account.
“We recognized a Ukraine that was not Nazi, that did not ban the Russian language. And we recognized it as a project that, according to the declaration of independence, was a non-aligned and frontier state,” Lavrov concluded.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), dismissed the remarks as another attempt by Moscow to soften the war’s consequences for itself.
Kovalenko noted there were no signs of a genuine desire for peace in the latest statements from Russian officials, pointing out they did not mention a ceasefire.
He argued that Ukraine’s militarization was a direct result of Russia’s aggression, and that a strong army is the key guarantee of Ukraine’s future statehood.
Kovalenko added that the Kremlin’s unchanged rhetoric suggests President Vladimir Putin’s regime has not suffered critical losses, and that pressure on Russia should intensify. He called “the destruction of the enemy’s oil refining and energy sectors in response to its actions, increasing strike intensity with Western weapons, strengthening sanctions, and the absence of China’s economic support for Moscow” a necessity.
“Russia must become a territory of war; otherwise it will move the war onto NATO countries,” he said, arguing the threat posed by Russia must be localized by destroying its ability to finance wars.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation also responded to Lavrov’s comments on its Telegram channel, calling them an “imitation of Russia’s readiness for peace talks.” The CCD said Moscow’s tactic remains the same: to try to convince the United States it is ready to negotiate without taking concrete steps toward peace, in order to delay new sanctions while continuing the war.
