Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Rejects EU Mediation in Ukraine War Talks

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the European Union cannot act as a neutral broker for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, accusing EU leaders of seeking to bolster President Volodymyr Zelensky’s regime and using the conflict as a “bridgehead” against Russia. He warned that direct confrontation between Russia and NATO could trigger catastrophic nuclear exchanges.

Lavrov outlined Moscow’s pre‑conditions for any settlement: guaranteed security on Russia’s western borders, protection of Russian‑speaking populations and Orthodox believers in Ukraine, and an end to what he described as Western military‑political expansion. He dismissed the idea of a cease‑fire without these guarantees and labelled the EU‑proposed terms an “ultimatum.”