NEW YORK: Russia has rejected any ceasefire arrangement in Ukraine that it believes would freeze the conflict without addressing Moscow’s security concerns, warning that there would be no basis for meaningful negotiations while, in its view, ultimatums and threats continue.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, made the remarks during a UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine on August 24, saying Moscow would not accept agreements that came at the expense of its security interests.
Nebenzia said Russia viewed proposals for a ceasefire freeze as an attempt to give Kyiv time to regroup and rearm, and argued that such an approach would fail.
He said political and diplomatic dialogue would remain difficult unless what Moscow describes as the “realities on the ground” are taken into account.
The Russian envoy also accused Ukraine and its Western supporters of pursuing military escalation while publicly advocating peace. He argued that Western governments had spent years arming Ukraine and using the country as an instrument of pressure against Russia.
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Targeting Civilians
Nebenzia accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out attacks on civilian areas inside Russia and Russian-held territories, describing the campaign as deliberate “terror” against civilians.
He claimed that between August 10 and 16, 475 civilians were killed or injured, including children, in Ukrainian attacks. Those figures were presented by Russia at the Security Council and were not independently verified in the statement.
The envoy cited incidents in Nizhnekamsk, Novorossiysk, the Rostov region and other locations, alleging that residential areas, public transport and medical facilities had been hit.
Nebenzia also raised concerns over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, accusing Kyiv of attacks near the facility and of obstructing a planned visit by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi.
Moscow Says Russian Forces Retain Battlefield Initiative
Nebenzia said Russian forces continued to hold the battlefield initiative and claimed they had taken seven settlements between August 16 and 19 in areas including Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv.
He also said Russian forces had carried out strikes against Ukrainian military infrastructure and vessels that Moscow claims were being used to transport Western military supplies.
These claims were presented as Russia’s account of battlefield developments and were not independently verified in the UN statement.
Moscow Rules Out Deal at Expense of Security Interests
Nebenzia said Russia would not accept a settlement that failed to address what it considers its core security concerns.
“There will be no agreements at the expense of Russia’s security interests,” he told the Security Council.
He added that Moscow would reject efforts to freeze the conflict if the purpose, in Russia’s assessment, was to provide Ukraine with an opportunity to rebuild its military capacity.
The remarks underline the continuing gap between Moscow and Kyiv over the terms of any potential ceasefire or negotiated settlement, with both sides maintaining sharply different positions on security guarantees, territory and the conditions required for talks.
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