Lavrov: Moscow calls for lasting peace instead of a ceasefire

The Russian Foreign Minister explains in an interview which points Moscow considers non-negotiable in a peace agreement with Ukraine

In an interview with the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, Lavrov explains which points Moscow considers non-negotiable in a peace agreement with Ukraine. He looks at Russia’s demands, the UN Charter and the “pragmatic” rapprochement with Budapest, which is causing a stir in the West. English translation of an article by Éva Péli summarising the interview, originally published in German in NachDenkSeiten.

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Russia remains open to a political-diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict, but only on the condition of a “lasting peace” and not a mere ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned in an interview with the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet on Monday that such a pause could merely be used by the Kyiv regime and its external backers to regroup their troops, continue mobilisation and strengthen their military potential. A sustainable settlement requires eliminating the root causes of the conflict. This primarily includes eliminating the threats to Russia’s security associated with NATO expansion and Ukraine’s inclusion in this military bloc.

Lavrov also believes it is essential to guarantee human rights in the Kyiv-controlled territories, as the “Ukrainian regime” has been “eradicating” everything Russian — language, culture, traditions, canonical Orthodoxy and Russian-language media — since 2014. Another key element of a peace agreement is the international recognition of the “new territorial realities” that have emerged through the incorporation of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, into Russia. The populations of these territories, Lavrov stated, voted in favor of reunification with Russia in referendums through “free expression of will”.

In addition, the agreement must include the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions, the withdrawal of all legal proceedings against Russia and the return of Russian assets illegally seized in the West. Lavrov called on Ukraine to return to the “origins of its statehood” and respect the neutral, non-aligned and nuclear-weapons-free status established in the 1990 Declaration of Sovereignty.

On the peace negotiations

Regarding the current status of the peace negotiations, Lavrov reported that, at Russia’s initiative and with the support of Turkish partners, direct talks with the Ukrainian side in Istanbul have begun without preconditions. Two rounds of negotiations have taken place so far (on May 16 and June 2), while the dates for a third round are still being coordinated. During these talks, agreements have already been reached on humanitarian issues, such as the exchange of civilians and prisoners of war, including the seriously wounded and young soldiers under the age of 25, as well as the repatriation of more than 6,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers for burial. Lavrov also mentioned a list submitted by Ukraine of 339 children who have lost contact with their parents. This, the minister stated, refutes “false propaganda claims by Kyiv” about 19,000 children allegedly “abducted” by Russia. Russia is examining each case and preparing its own list of 18 children (10 in Ukraine, eight in European countries) to reunite them with their families in Russia.

On the causes of the Ukraine conflict

Regarding the “causes of the conflict”, Lavrov reiterated the accusation that ethnic Russians in Ukraine have been persecuted and killed, particularly since the 2014 coup in Kyiv. He cited the incident at the Trade Union Building in Odessa on May 2, 2014 as an example, and said that after 2014 Ukrainian forces killed “over ten thousand Russian and Russian-speaking residents of Donbas”. The Kyiv regime, he said, declared war on the Russian language and culture, passing laws prohibiting their use and discriminating against ethnic Russians. Other ethnic groups, such as Hungarians, Romanians, Poles and Bulgarians, had also been affected by “violent Ukrainisation”.

Another major cause, he said, was NATO’s “years of eastward expansion”, which transformed Ukraine into a “military springboard for containing Russia”. Lavrov denied that NATO was still a purely defensive alliance, citing military interventions in Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya. The presence of NATO bases in Ukraine, he said, poses an “imminent threat” to Russia’s national security. He recalled that at the end of 2021 Russia had demanded security guarantees to preserve Ukraine’s non-aligned status. However, this initiative was rejected by the West and Ukraine instead continued to build up its military presence, leaving Russia “no choice” but to launch the “special military operation”.

A question of the right to self-determination

Regarding Russia’s claims of sovereignty over Crimea and the four “recently annexed regions”, Lavrov rejected the term “annexation” as “inappropriate and unacceptable”. He recalled the referendums in these territories in which the majority of participants voted for reunification with Russia, which constituted the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter.

Lavrov accused Western countries of selectively citing the UN Charter, focusing on territorial integrity (Article 2, paragraph 4) while ignoring the right to self-determination (Article 1, paragraph 2) and respect for human rights (Article 1, paragraph 3). This, he said, is a form of “manipulation and double standards”.

The foreign minister referred to a 1970 UN declaration stating that the principle of territorial integrity applies only to states whose governments represent the entire population without discrimination. However, the Kyiv regime has elevated Russophobia to state doctrine and does not represent the Russian-speaking population of these regions. Moscow cites statements by Volodymyr Zelensky, who in 2021 called residents of the southeast “creatures” and called on them to “disappear to Russia”. For Russia, this means that the Kyiv regime has no right to apply the principle of territorial integrity to these territories, since it does not represent their populations.

On Hungarian-Russian relations and Europe

Lavrov described Russian-Hungarian relations as “pragmatic”. He praised the “balanced approach of the Hungarian leadership”, which is pursuing a pragmatic course despite pressure from Brussels. Despite anti-Russian sanctions, bilateral trade and economic relations are developing, and the “flagship project”, the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant, is progressing successfully. Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s reputation as a “reliable supplier” of hydrocarbons and saw “good prospects for further dialogue” based on mutual benefit and consideration of the interests of both countries.

Finally, Lavrov responded to accusations by Western intelligence agencies and European politicians that President Putin intends to “occupy” Europe or expand Russian influence. He described these accusations as unfounded and suggested that this “mythical Russian threat” was being created by Western leaders to unite the population in the face of social and economic problems — inflation, unemployment, declining incomes illegal migration — and to distract from their own failures. Lavrov expressed concern that the European Union was transforming into a “military-political bloc” and “an appendage of NATO”, which he described as a “dangerous trend” with far-reaching consequences for all Europeans.

The interview was originally published in Hungarian here.

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Thomas Fazi

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