Lavrov on Ukraine talks Past deals and mistrust

Aug 15, 2025

Asked how trust and a path out of the Ukraine conflict can be rebuilt, Lavrov says existing agreements must be implemented. He recounts the February 2014 political settlement, including an Obama–Putin call, then alleges that its opponents immediately seized power with Western approval. He presents Ukraine's language policies and Crimea and Donbas as grievances. He says the Minsk agreements were sabotaged and interprets later European leaders' remarks as admissions of deception. He recounts the December 2019 Normandy summit and accuses Zelensky of refusing the agreed Donbas special-status approach. He says Russia accepted Ukrainian principles presented in Istanbul in early April 2022 and alleges that Boris Johnson helped prevent their implementation. He claims Russia accepted principles agreed with Trump in Anchorage, while Ukraine and its European supporters obstructed them. Finally, he says repeated talks in Istanbul and Abu Dhabi, including humanitarian discussions, were suspended through no fault of Russia. His assertions about coups, motives, sabotage and agreed peace terms remain attributed; he does not announce a new settlement or negotiating round.

Lavrov says Russia accepted U.S.-proposed Anchorage principles as a basis for further Ukraine work. He accuses European leaders of discouraging Trump and says Ukraine refused the understandings. His interpretation of the summit's results is attributed and does not establish a finalized peace agreement. At Valdai on October 1, Putin says he came to Anchorage accepting US proposals after initially asking for time to think, but that the American side then said it needed to think. In a final follow-up he describes his acceptance as a change in Russia’s position. This more unsettled account of the American response remains alongside Lavrov’s September 26 characterization of accepted principles or understandings and his accusations of European and Ukrainian obstruction. Neither source supplies a finalized peace agreement.