Disappointed by the West's false promises, Russia rejects the idea of a truce and will continue the fight for peace, says the Russian Foreign Minister, quoted by pro-Kremlin media
NEWS: Russia will not be fooled by those who propose first a ceasefire in Ukraine and then moving on to resolving the conflict, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a speech to professors and students at Russian university branches.
“Now, they say: let's call a truce, and then we'll see. No, guys. We've been through such situations before, we don't want anything like this again,” he said. The head of Russian diplomacy recalled that the West had already deceived Russia in 2014, when it organized a coup in Kyiv immediately after the Ukrainian authorities and the opposition had reached an agreement on resolving the conflict. This was followed by the Minsk agreements, which, as European politicians later admitted, were needed only to buy time in favor of Kyiv. In 2022, at the Istanbul negotiations, Russia and Ukraine initialed the principles of a conflict settlement, but the West forbade the Kyiv authorities to sign an agreement based on them.
NARRATIVES: 1. In 2014, a coup d'état took place in Ukraine, organized by the West. 2. The Minsk agreements were a scam to buy time in favor of Ukraine. 3. The West did not allow Kyiv to sign a peace agreement with Russia in 2022. 4. The West wants to deceive Russia again by proposing a ceasefire.
PURPOSE: To justify Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine; to shift responsibility for the failure of peace negotiations onto the West; to present Russia as a victim.
Reality: It is Russia that has consistently violated international agreements, deceiving the West
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The events of 2014 were not a Western-organized "coup d'état". It was a pro-European street movement known as Euromaidan or the Revolution of Dignity. The protests began in November 2013 in response to President Viktor Yanukovych's decision, under pressure from Russia, to suspend preparations for the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU. The demonstrations developed into a broad pro-democracy movement after security forces used violence against peaceful protesters. The Ukrainian parliament legally voted to oust Yanukovych after he fled the country. The change of power took place through presidential and parliamentary elections in the spring and fall of 2014, recognized by the international community based on reports from international observers.
The Minsk agreements were violated primarily by Russia and Moscow-backed separatists, according to OSCE reports. The most serious violations of the agreements were committed by the pro-Russian forces. Germany and France, guarantors of the agreements, have stressed that their implementation failed due to Russia's continued lack of cooperation.
The 2022 negotiations in Istanbul were just preliminary discussions, which did not lead to a signed agreement. The negotiation process stopped after the Bucha massacre and other atrocities committed by the Russian forces, which showed that Moscow was not negotiating in good faith. President Zelensky has repeatedly stated that the decision to continue the resistance belongs to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. It is Russia that set unacceptable conditions for the peace negotiations in 2022, but also in 2025, including the recognition of illegal annexations and Ukraine’s renunciation of the right to join military alliances. Russia’s conditions amount to a total capitulation and validation of its aggression, not a just and lasting peace. According to international law, no country can be forced to accept the loss of territory through military aggression.
In fact, Lavrov blames the West for what Russia has done. It is Moscow that has repeatedly used ceasefires and negotiations to consolidate its military positions and prepare new offensives. Russia used the Minsk peace agreements to strengthen itself and attack Ukraine in 2022. Although it frequently accuses the West of deception, it is Russia that has repeatedly violated international agreements. In 1994, through the Budapest Memorandum, Moscow pledged to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders in exchange for the latter giving up its nuclear arsenal, but in 2014 it illegally annexed Crimea. The Minsk agreements, intended to stop the conflict in Donbas, were also frequently violated by providing military support to pro-Russian separatists.
A peaceful resolution of an armed conflict cannot take place against the backdrop of continued bombing. The first essential step towards building a lasting peace is ceasefire, as it stops the violence and creates a minimum space of trust necessary for dialogue. A ceasefire reduces tension on the ground, allows humanitarian access, stabilizes the situation and provides a practical framework for the parties involved to engage in negotiations under the protection of a relatively safe climate. Without a cessation of hostilities, any diplomatic attempt risks being undermined by a lack of security and sudden escalations, as was the case in Istanbul in 2022. Studies on peacemaking show that a ceasefire is often the first formal step towards turning the conflict into a process of reconciliation.
CONTEXT: On May 16, 2025, Istanbul hosted the first direct talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine, with Turkey mediating, but without any concrete results. The negotiations reflected the lack of real commitment from Moscow, which sent a low-ranking delegation to the talks. Ukraine, through Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, called for a complete and unconditional ceasefire and urgent humanitarian measures. Turkey insisted on the need for a quick ceasefire, and the US supported the idea of resuming dialogue, with Donald Trump stating that he wanted a meeting with Vladimir Putin. However, Kyiv voiced doubts about the real authority of the Russian delegation and insisted on a direct Zelensky-Putin meeting.
Lavrov's speech is part of a broader campaign to have the Russian public opinion reject any peace initiatives that would not fully satisfy the Kremlin's maximalist ambitions. Russia systematically uses the "Western deception" narrative to justify its own violations of international agreements and to undermine trust in international mediation institutions and processes. This tactic aims to isolate Ukraine and present Russia as being forced to act unilaterally due to its "distrust" of the Western partners.
