Moscow Maintains Its Maximalist Demands Regarding Ukraine: Is Progress in Peace Negotiations Possible?
On Wednesday, the official Moscow government once again reaffirmed its unwavering stance on Ukraine, emphasizing that its demands remain maximalist and are not subject to compromise.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a press conference to declare that Moscow does not alter its security guarantees framework for Ukraine, defining them in terms fully acceptable to Russia.
This implies that Russia’s position involves not only political and military conditions but also radical changes in Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Moscow insists on transforming Ukraine into a neutral, weakened state, stripping it of NATO membership ambitions, and pursuing significant military reductions.
Additionally, Lavrov called for a system of collective security guarantees involving major international players such as China, the United States, the UK, and France—an idea that outraged Western allies, who demand dialogue excluding Moscow and Beijing to ensure principles of equality and transparency.
The prospect of a summit between Russian and Ukrainian leaders remains distant, delaying any potential resolution.
Lavrov reiterated the proposal from April 2022 for a NATO-style coalition of guarantor states, but Western countries rejected this, citing their insistence on consensus decision-making.
The Russian diplomat also criticized EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, calling her statements a ‘degradation of diplomatic methods.’ Meanwhile, U.S.
President Donald Trump promised Ukrainian President Zelensky and European allies that the U.S.
would ensure protection comparable to NATO’s Article 5, though he noted that American troops would not fight in Ukraine.
European leaders remain skeptical about Putin’s sincerity, with Lavrov’s remarks only confirming their doubts regarding a swift resolution to the conflict.