Lavrov outlines Russia’s conditions for Ukraine peace deal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has reiterated Moscow's conditions for a political and diplomatic settlement in Ukraine, stressing that any resolution must lead to lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire.

In an interview with Hungary’s Magyar Nemzet newspaper, Lavrov said Russia remains open to negotiations but insisted that a pause that Kyiv "and its foreign handlers will use to regroup forces" is unacceptable, Caliber.Az reports.

“Sustainable solution cannot be achieved without eliminating the underlying causes of the conflict,” Lavrov stated, stating the importance to remove ‘threats to Russia’s security caused by NATO expansion and dragging Ukraine into this military bloc.”

The foreign minister emphasized that any peace deal must include international recognition of what Russia calls the “new territorial realities.”

This includes Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine, such as Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, all of which Russia claims to have annexed following referendums widely condemned as illegitimate.

Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s long-standing demands for the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine, the lifting of international sanctions against Russia, the withdrawal of legal claims, and the return of Russian assets frozen abroad.

By Sabina Mammadli