Putin, Lavrov outline impossible terms for future Ukraine talks
The Kremlin returns to the demands made by Putin in June 2024 despite a year of U.S.-led negotiations.
Russia signaled a hard line in ongoing peace discussions, with senior officials publicly rejecting major parts of current proposals set by the United States, EU, and Ukraine, and laying down strict conditions for any halt in fighting.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said negotiations were “not moving in the right direction,” adding that recent diplomatic efforts have failed to address what Moscow considers its core security demands. “We have said this more than once: we must not fall into some kind of excited perception of what is happening,” Lavrov said in an interview. He added that Russian interests must be central to any agreement and argued that foreign policy “must be based on national interests,” including those of Russia.
Lavrov also highlighted past statements from U.S. officials, saying, “If we analyze the practical steps taken toward Russia during President Trump’s second term…we are moving in the wrong direction.” He warned that the “root causes” of the war would not disappear without acknowledging Russia’s security expectations, particularly regarding NATO expansion and territorial claims.
Echoing Lavrov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said a peace agreement must include protections for Russia. “The key issue is, of course, Russia’s security interests,” he said, adding that European leaders rarely speak about security guarantees for Russia. He argued that without such guarantees, “no peace treaty is possible.”
Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin reinforced these positions in a prepared statement outlining the Kremlin’s conditions for ending hostilities. “The conditions are very simple,” he said. “Ukrainian troops must be completely withdrawn from the Donetsk [and] Luhansk People’s Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.” He added that Ukraine must “officially announce its abandonment of plans to join NATO,” after which Russia would “immediately” cease fire and begin negotiations.
Diplomatic efforts have continued despite the impasse. French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed to reopen direct communication channels with Russia, stating that Europe must be involved in its own regional security discussions.
At the same time, major Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid have drawn new international attention. Since January 1, Russia has launched over 225 attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, including vital safety systems for nuclear power plants. Heating, electricity, and water have been disrupted for millions during severe winter cold.
Ukraine maintains that it will not surrender territory that Russia does not occupy and continues to participate in U.S.-led talks, including recent sessions in Abu Dhabi. However, the gap between the two sides has widened as Moscow publicly repeats conditions Kyiv has rejected.
Russia has repeatedly rejected peace proposals since March 2025, when Ukraine accepted an unconditional 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. Recently, the Russian offensive has stalled due to weather conditions, a loss of access to Starlink, and Moscow’s Internet watchdog blocking the Telegram app. Due to the command and control disruptions, Ukraine has regained over 90 square kilometers of territory in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.