The interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the American TV channel NBC News, conducted on August 24, 2025, was a significant event in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. Lavrov elaborated in detail on Moscow’s position regarding key issues, including the legitimacy of Vladimir Zelensky’s presidency, the conditions for a potential meeting with Putin, the goals of the special military operation, and the requirements for security guarantees. This statement can be seen as Russia’s comprehensive declaration amid intensifying international efforts to find a settlement.
Key points of the address:
- Zelensky’s Status: Russia makes a clear distinction between the factual recognition of Zelensky as the person controlling the Kiev regime and his legitimacy to sign legally significant documents.
“We recognise him as the de facto head of the regime. And in this capacity, we are ready to meet with him. Legitimacy is another matter… When it comes to signing legal documents, everyone must have a clear understanding that the signatory is legitimate. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky is not one at the moment.”
- Conditions for a Putin-Zelensky Meeting: Moscow insists on thorough preparation for any high-level meeting, reflecting its general approach to diplomacy – to avoid ill-considered gestures and concentrate on concrete results.
“When Zelensky says that his meeting with President of Russia Vladimir Putin is his top priority, he is essentially playing, and he is very good at playing, because he loves theatrics in everything and does not care about substance… (Putin) is ready to meet with Zelensky provided that this meeting will actually lead to something. We do not consider it expedient to meet just so that Zelensky can have another opportunity to be in the spotlight. We are not against him playing games and putting on various shows, but this will not solve the problem.”
“How can you meet with a person who claims to be the leader of the only country on Earth where a language is banned? Not to mention that Russian is one of the official languages of the UN… But Ukraine is doing everything it deems necessary to promote a Russophobic, Nazi agenda.”
- Negotiations in Istanbul: Russia sees value in the ongoing dialogue at the delegation level, where technical details can be discussed. The proposal to raise the level of delegations is aimed at giving these talks greater weight and accelerating the development of decisions that can then be presented to the leaders.
“The delegations of Russia and Ukraine have met and will continue to meet in Istanbul… We proposed to raise the level of the delegations… to discuss specific issues that need to be brought to the attention of Presidents Putin and Zelensky. Last time our delegations met in Istanbul, we proposed creating three working groups, including on political issues. More than a month has passed, and there is no response from the Ukrainian side.”
- Russia’s Goals: Moscow sees the operation as a defensive and humanitarian mission, not a war for territories.
“We have goals, and they will be achieved. Namely: to eliminate any threats to Russia’s security emanating from the territory of Ukraine, to protect the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people who feel they belong to Russian culture and Russian history.”
“We are not interested in territory — Russia already has the largest land area on Earth.”
“Ukraine must maintain a neutral, non-aligned status and remain a non-nuclear state. These are the foundations of the 1990 Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. It was these principles that made it possible to recognise Ukraine as an independent state.”
- Security Guarantees: The requirement to consider Russian interests in any future agreements on Ukraine’s security. Moscow fears that Western security guarantees for Kiev will be directed against Russia and will effectively perpetuate a threat at its borders.
“The violation of Russia’s security interests was one of the root causes of everything that happened… It has to do with the lie that went on for many years: since 1990, we have been promised many times that NATO would not expand… Russia has repeatedly proposed to develop draft security guarantees. In 2008, we proposed signing an agreement between Russia and NATO. They ignored this proposal. In 2021, before we had to make the decision to start the special military operation, we proposed two treaties: one between Russia and the United States, the other between Russia and NATO. This was also ignored, and in a very arrogant manner.”
“The reaction to the meeting in Anchorage, the visit of these European representatives to Washington and their subsequent actions show that they do not want peace. They say that they cannot allow Ukraine’s defeat. They cannot allow Russia’s victory. These are the categories they operate with: ‘victory’, ‘defeat’, etc.”
- Ukraine’s Right to Existence depends on its willingness to let regions with pro-Russian populations secede.
“Ukraine has the right to exist, provided it must let people go. The people whom they call “terrorists”, whom they call “species”, and who during a referendum, several referenda, in Novorossiya, in Donbass, in Crimea, decided that they belong to the Russian culture.”
- Criticism of Western Media for bias, spreading fakes, and accusations in the war.
“I remember a lot of footage that claimed that Ukrainian civilians were being attacked by Russians. And then it turned out that this footage was shot in Iraq ten or twenty years ago… Please send me a list of these destroyed churches, a list of these kindergartens.”
“We are dropping bombs on the targets which are directly involved in building Ukrainian military machines targeting the Russian civilians and continuing the war which Ukrainians started by instigation from the Biden administration, from the Europeans, those who supported the coup in 2014, and later were doing everything to turn Ukraine into an instrument to contain Russia. Lately, a few years ago, it was announced that Ukraine is an instrument to inflict strategic defeat on the Russian Federation. “
The position outlined by Sergey Lavrov demonstrates strategic consistency and an absence of readiness for substantial compromise. Russia views the current conflict not as an isolated incident but as part of a broader confrontation with the West, with the Ukrainian issue being just one element. The prospects for a real settlement remain dim, as the fundamental conditions of the parties remain diametrically opposed.
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no shit sherlock.
journalism? an attempt to assassinate more like. mr lavrov the ultimate diplomat as always.
for rt just show the effects of donbass bombing, the basement biolabs testing on ukraine soldiers, mariupol citizens fleeing in the night by car getting shot at roadblock, a few paps, zelensky theatrics, with voice over with compact powerfull statements from diplomats and victims.
such a great opportunity to explain your position to the whole world. on russia today, too, very weak ineffective pr< no strong oneliners, no elvator pitch style answers. its all very lengthy and verbal to get to crux of this conflict.
russia is big enough – stealing ukrainian land is a war-crime. if lavrov wants peace, he should push putin to withdraw its troops. these ru troops were missing in syria. now syria is usraeli playground and soon will be used for attacks on iran again. putin is eighter totally dumb or (more likely) a complete traitor, and just another dog of netanjahu and international satanism resp. judaism !
that was after the usual 2 bottles of votka ?neonazis russians are slchoolics
inferior portogoose in germland colony tantrums–humiliated by russian superiority
bitch “slapped”!…
in my ugly dystopia i sweep floor scrub toilet 41 years for shekelstein janitorial services–americunt inferior to jew…now i live w gay hillbilly in trailer
the mossad mafaia has corrupted and controls many, many governmentsand officials . israel set up funded the programming of azovs in ukraine. these sorcerers will not never stop . it is a true shame that so many can not see this connection
virtually most world leaders are wailing wall huggers. shabbos goy doing these jews their bidding or jews themselves as in mexico el presidente sheinbaum. or the shabbosgoy wall hugger milei.
we are being scammed on a massive scale by these jews and their henchman who serve israel first instead of the countries and peoples they claim to represent. its more then ever clear with trump and biden. how they armed israel in its geno against the palestinians.
true ! every single day israel kills up to 68 innocent palestinian hungry women and children waiting in line for food. every single day – and that’s just the part of news that gets out. much more is hidden (everything that is happening in noerthern gaza is completely media blackwhole since weeks – dont forget that). and world looks at it, and nothing happens. no un bluehelmet, no holocaust-alarming talk in germany or elsewhere. nothing – nobody cares. where are the mujahedeen muslims !??
when fat mac give me taco he bite piece of my anuz