Sergey Lavrov on Ukraine
TL;DR
Sergey Lavrov asserts the Ukraine conflict stems from the West using Kyiv as a proxy, demanding a settlement based on 2025 Alaska understandings.
Key Points
A political settlement must be based on the understandings achieved in Alaska in 2025, proposals which originated from the US side.
He accuses the West, particularly European leaders, of trying to undermine the 2025 Alaska agreements to preserve the current anti-Russia regime in Kiev.
One of the main goals of the special military operation remains the elimination of the security threat to Russia emanating from Ukrainian territory.
Summary
Sergey Lavrov states that the West intentionally provoked and initiated a war against Russia by utilizing the Ukrainian regime as a proxy, aiming for a strategic defeat of Russia. He maintains that this approach is consistent with the West's long-standing policy of “divide and conquer” applied globally, including in the Middle East. The core of his current position is that any political settlement must adhere to the understandings reached in Anchorage in 2025, which originated from American proposals that Russia accepted with compromise. He suggests that recent negotiations show some progress on humanitarian issues like prisoner exchanges, but the main political agreements have not yet been finalized.
He suggests that European leaders and the Kiev regime are actively trying to derail the 2025 Alaska understandings, pushing instead for a ceasefire that would allow them to rearm and continue hostility against the Russian Federation, potentially deploying multinational forces. Furthermore, he criticizes the West for ignoring the root causes of the crisis, such as NATO expansion despite warnings dating back to President Putin's 2007 Munich speech, and the alleged illegal, Western-backed 2014 coup that brought a “Nazi regime” to power. He stresses that a key objective of the special military operation remains eliminating the security threat emanating from Ukrainian territory, which includes state-sponsored cyber terrorism supported by the US and UK infrastructure in Ukraine.
Key Quotes
"Negotiations are continuing… there is still a long way to go"
Our position on Ukraine is that any resolution must address the root causes of this crisis, which the West has deliberately cultivated for years to transform Ukraine into a security threat and a springboard against Russia on our very border.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sergey Lavrov views the conflict as a Western-orchestrated war against Russia using Ukraine as a proxy to achieve Moscow's strategic defeat. He firmly states that any resolution must be grounded in the 'Alaska agreements' reached with the US in 2025. He insists that Russia will achieve its objectives, preferably through negotiations based on those understandings, or by other means.
His core stance remains that the West is hostile, but the benchmark for negotiation has evolved to center specifically on the understandings reached during the 2025 Anchorage talks. He consistently frames the conflict as defensive, necessitated by NATO expansion and the perceived threat from Kiev. He remains committed to ensuring Russia's security interests are paramount.
He stated that while some progress on humanitarian issues has been made in recent trilateral rounds involving the US, there is still a 'long way to go' for a comprehensive political settlement. He expressed cautious optimism about US involvement but warned against European efforts to overturn the 2025 Anchorage accords to prolong the conflict.
Sources6
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions during the Ambassadorial Roundtable Ukraine Crisis. Digital Threats and International Information Security, Moscow, March 5, 2026
Lavrov says Russia believes US sincerely wants to end conflict in Ukraine
Russia says 'long way to go' in Ukraine peace talks as Lavrov rejects US optimism
Russia's Lavrov says UN as relevant as ever in 'age of multipolarity'
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions during a news conference on the performance of Russian diplomacy in 2025, Moscow, January 20, 2026
Russian, UAE foreign ministers seek end to attacks on Iran, Gulf states — Russian ministry
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.