Russia reiterated its maximalist conditions for peace with Ukraine on Monday, April 28, offering no new proposals to end the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any agreement would require not only international recognition of Russian control over Crimea – as reportedly proposed by US President Donald Trump – but also the acceptance of Moscow’s claims over four additional partially occupied regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
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Lavrov called these requirements “imperative” in an interview with Brazil’s Globo news outlet.
“The imperative is the international recognition of the Russian affiliation of Crimea, Sevastopol, the DPR [the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic], the LPR [the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic], the Kherson region, and the Zaporizhzhia region,” Lavrov said.
He also listed other conditions, such as Kyiv’s relinquishing its NATO bid, staying neutral, and changing policies that Russia claims are hurting the Russian language, culture, and Orthodox Christianity.
Other Russian demands include the demilitarization and so-called “denazification” of Ukraine, a term Russia uses to justify its invasion.
Moscow’s demands also include the lifting of Western sanctions and arrest warrants against Russian officials, as well as the return of Russian assets frozen overseas.
Moscow is also seeking “reliable security guarantees” against alleged threats from NATO, the EU and their member states, according to Lavrov.
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“All of Kyiv’s obligations must be legally binding, have enforcement mechanisms, and be indefinite,” Lavrov added.
The comments come as international efforts to broker a ceasefire have gained momentum ahead of potential peace talks.
New documents from recent negotiations have shown the gap between what the US wants and what Ukraine is willing to consider.
While the exact terms of the US-proposed deal are yet to be publicly declared, media reports say they include US recognition of Crimea as Russian, reversing its longstanding policy declared following Russia’s 2014 annexation.
However, Ukraine has rejected any settlement based on the surrender of its territory, and Western officials have repeatedly dismissed Russia’s demands as unacceptable.
Lavrov also pushed back against a reported US proposal to place the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under American management.
In an interview with CBS, he said the facility remains under the jurisdiction of Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, and is monitored by staff from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who are stationed at the site.
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