NEW YORK, September 23 — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia remains ready for negotiations aimed at achieving what Moscow considers a lasting settlement in Ukraine, but ruled out suspending Russian military operations while any talks are underway.
Addressing a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine in New York, Lavrov said Moscow would continue its military campaign regardless of the format of potential negotiations.
“We will not suspend the special military operation for the duration of negotiations, whatever their format,” Lavrov said.
He argued that European countries were seeking a pause in fighting that would allow Ukraine time to replenish its military capabilities, an assertion reflecting Moscow’s position on proposals for a ceasefire.
Lavrov also revisited failed diplomatic efforts preceding and following Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including the Minsk agreements and negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Belarus and Istanbul.
The Russian foreign minister claimed that Ukraine could have retained most of its internationally recognised 1991 borders had earlier agreements been implemented, while excluding Crimea and, under a later proposed settlement, parts of the Donbas.
Crimea is internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory but has been occupied and claimed by Russia since Moscow annexed the peninsula in 2014. The United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly affirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
Lavrov said negotiations held shortly after the start of the 2022 war had included discussions over Ukrainian neutrality, security guarantees and territorial issues. He maintained that the proposals could have formed the basis of an eventual settlement but were never formalised into a treaty.
He also blamed NATO and the former Biden administration for rejecting Russian security proposals presented in December 2021, arguing that Moscow had sought an agreement addressing its security concerns before launching its military operation.
Ukraine and its Western partners have rejected Moscow’s justification for the invasion, maintaining that Russia launched an unprovoked war against a sovereign state. At the same Security Council meeting, UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo warned that the conflict was entering a “dangerous new phase,” citing intensifying attacks, mounting civilian casualties and a growing risk of regional spillover.
Lavrov said President Vladimir Putin remained prepared for negotiations based on conditions Moscow has previously outlined for ending the conflict.
His comments underscored the continuing gulf between Russia and Ukraine over the terms of any peace process, particularly on territory, security guarantees and whether fighting should stop before substantive negotiations take place.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing the UN General Assembly the same day, called for continued international pressure on Russia and urged countries to restrict revenues that he said were enabling Moscow to continue the war.