Ukraine War23 September, 20262 min read
Sergei Lavrov Tells UN Security Council Russia Won’t Pause Ukraine War For Talks
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Russia ready for negotiations on a sustainable, just peace in Ukraine. Russia will not pause military operations during negotiations.
Lavrov rejects any pause
Ukraine unveiled an unconditional ceasefire proposal on Wednesday, Sept. 23, backed by 50 countries in a joint statement, and the question turned to how Russia would respond.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that Moscow would not pause its more than four-year war against Ukraine during negotiations, saying, "We will not pause the special military operation for the duration of negotiations in any format".
Lavrov accused Europe of seeking to use any pause in fighting to "pump the Kyiv regime with weapons" and said Moscow’s position was shaped by what he called "bitter experience."
Lavrov also said Russia remained open to negotiating a long-term, sustainable peace settlement, while dismissing a pre-agreement ceasefire as "not serious."
Rubio meeting and accusations
Lavrov’s UN Security Council remarks came around the same time he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN event, where discussions briefly touched upon interest in highly limited truces. Meduza said Rubio told reporters the U.S. had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami in December and hoped he would accept.
Lavrov accused Europe of seeking a temporary pause to give Ukraine “breathing space” and a chance to replenish its depleted military stockpiles, while Ukrainian officials including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of blocking actual peace paths. Lavrov also framed his position as a rejection of a pre-agreement ceasefire, and he insisted that Russia was open to negotiating a “sustainable, just peace” rather than a halt in fighting.
What talks hinge on
The joint initiative that Ukraine’s proposal intersected with was signed by 51 UN member states, and it called on Russia to end its aggression, agree to a ceasefire, and fully participate in negotiations aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Lavrov argued that the objective should be a long-term peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire, and he said, "Russia, and President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly confirmed this -- is ready for negotiations to achieve precisely such a sustainable, just peace."
Lavrov also blamed France, Germany and Poland for what he described as the failure of an earlier agreement during the 2013-2014 political crisis, saying, "They cheated," and arguing that this contributed to the war and Ukraine’s territorial losses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukraine would retaliate strongly if energy infrastructure targets continue to face winter bombardment, linking the ceasefire debate to the risk of continued attacks.