Lavrov says Russia will fight until Putin’s ultimatums are met

Lavrov made the statement at a joint press conference with Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas.

“The president clearly confirmed that we will continue to achieve the goals that were set back in June 2024 during Vladimir Putin’s speech at the Foreign Ministry,” Lavrov said.

Putin claimed at a meeting with the leadership of Russia’s Foreign Ministry in June 2024 that Moscow was ready to sit down for talks if Ukraine fully withdrew its troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts.

Another ultimatum issued by Putin was Ukraine’s refusal to pursue NATO membership.

Putin also falsely claimed that the essence of his “proposal” was not to freeze the conflict, but supposedly to “finally end it,” adding that Ukraine’s “future existence” depended on the decision.

Putin is rejecting calls for peace talks with Ukraine and could escalate the war in the coming months, Reuters reported July 9, citing three sources.

The Kremlin leader is unlikely to begin constructive peace talks with Ukraine before at least February 2027, the Financial Times reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.