Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has demanded Ukraine formally acknowledge its territorial losses, guarantee protections for Russian-speaking citizens, and adopt a security framework that eliminates any threat to Moscow. In an interview with the Indonesian publication Kompas, Lavrov outlined conditions for peace, insisting that Moscow’s annexations—including Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Kherson, and Zaporozhye—must be recognized as permanent under international law. He cited referendums held in 2014 and 2022 as proof of local populations’ desire to join Russia, framing these moves as irreversible.
Lavrov accused Ukraine of fueling conflict through its alignment with NATO, stating that the alliance’s expansion has been a “root cause” of instability. He reiterated that Kyiv must embrace neutrality, renounce nuclear weapons, and uphold the principles enshrined in its 1990 Declaration of Independence—principles Russia claims were used to legitimize Ukrainian statehood. However, he condemned Ukraine’s current policies, calling them a systematic effort to erase Russian cultural and linguistic presence.
“Ukraine is the only nation where the language of a substantial portion of its population has been outlawed,” Lavrov alleged, criticizing Kyiv’s restrictions on Russian-language media, religious practices, and historical symbols. He highlighted crackdowns on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, despite its 2022 declaration of independence from Moscow, and accused authorities of enforcing a “cultural purge” since the 2014 coup.
The foreign minister also dismissed Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, stating that Kyiv’s refusal to accept territorial compromises renders dialogue impossible. He warned that Russia would not tolerate “threats” from a nation he described as persistently hostile to its interests.
Lavrov’s remarks underscore Russia’s hardline stance, positioning territorial annexation and cultural subjugation as non-negotiable demands. Meanwhile, Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly rejected such terms, vowing to defend their sovereignty against what they call Moscow’s imperial ambitions.