Sergey Lavrov: Russia accepts peace negotiations with Ukraine, but rules out a halt to the fighting during the talks

Russia is open to resuming peace negotiations concerning Ukraine, but does not consider it necessary to stop the fighting during the discussions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday in an interview with state television in Moscow.

Lavrov argued that diplomacy and military operations can continue simultaneously, citing the experience of the 2022 negotiations. He stated that Russia was “deceived” after the withdrawal of troops from near Kyiv, considered at the time a gesture of goodwill in exchange for the promise of a peace agreement.

Moscow maintains that an agreement was nearly finalized in Istanbul, but that Ukraine allegedly abandoned it under pressure from the United States and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Kyiv rejects this version and says that the draft provided for Ukraine’s neutrality, the limitation of its military capabilities, and a special status for the regions in the east.

Lavrov’s statements were made after the telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Russia says it will continue its dialogue with Washington, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that negotiators from the three countries could meet this month. Moscow, however, considers it too early for such a meeting.