Statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday highlighted Moscow's insistence on not setting a final deadline for ending the war in Ukraine, stressing that the Kremlin is moving according to “tasks” and not timetables, while it continues to insist on political and regional conditions that Kiev rejects, at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is demanding a direct meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin amid the faltering Geneva process.

Published on: 02/27/2026 - 03:13

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov considered that Moscow is not in a rush to reach an agreement to end the Ukraine war, in statements he made to official media on Thursday.

Negotiators from both sides arrived in Geneva on the same day to hold separate talks with American officials, as part of a complex negotiating process that US President Donald Trump is pushing to continue in the hope of ending the fighting.

Several rounds of talks have previously failed to produce an agreement, as Moscow adheres to strict political and regional demands that Kiev rejects, considering that they amount to surrender to its Russian neighbor. Senior Russian officials also ruled out on Thursday that an agreement was imminent.

According to what was reported by official news agencies, Lavrov said, “Have you heard anything from us about deadlines? We do not have any deadlines, we have tasks that we are working to accomplish.”

Read also: Ukrainian negotiators meet with American officials in Geneva before a tripartite meeting that includes Russia

For his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that it is still too early to make any "expectations" or determine the stage of the peace process.

In statements to official media, Peskov added, "Trying to define a stage or make any predictions at the present time would be a big mistake. I do not want to make those mistakes."

In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to agree on the outstanding issues, especially the fate of the regions of eastern Ukraine that Moscow seeks to control.

On Thursday, Peskov also reaffirmed that Russia will not go to a presidential summit except in the final stage of the negotiations, and for the purpose of signing an agreement reached in advance between the delegations.

France 24/AFP

Keywords related to the article

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.