On Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that the West is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine with the intention of “flooding” Kyiv with weapons. He also stated that there have been no substantial proposals from the West for discussions about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Asked if there were any signs that talks on the Ukraine conflict could be launched in the fall, Lavrov said: “By spreading such instigating rumors, the West seems to be testing our readiness to accept its terms. In fact, they make no secret of their terms, which include a few months break and no agreements, except for the one on a ceasefire, as they seek to buy time to flood Ukraine with more weapons in addition to what has already been provided and is now being steadily destroyed by our armed forces,” according to state news agency TASS.
As for proposals for talks between Russia and Ukraine, Lavrov stated: “As for how all this will end, we don’t see any serious proposals from the West.”

He added: “The West is now talking about the possibility of talks but at the same time, it is openly and categorically stating that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s ‘peace formula’ is the sole basis for negotiations. There is no point in discussing it as it is nothing but an ultimatum.”

Lavrov stressed that Moscow is ready for talks on Ukraine, if they take the situation on the ground and Russian security interests into account.

“Our position remains the same: we are ready to make agreements provided that the current situation on the ground is taken into account, as well as our position that everyone is well aware of and our security interests, including the need to prevent the creation of a hostile Nazi regime near Russian borders, which is openly declaring the goal to eliminate all things Russian in the areas in Crimea and Novorossiya that Russian people have been exploring and developing for centuries,” he said.