Lavrov Rejects Ceasefire: Russia Says Halting War Would 'Preserve the Nazi Regime' in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed European appeals for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, arguing that halting hostilities now would, in his words, "preserve the Nazi regime" and "ban the Russian language." His remarks, carried by Kremlin-aligned agencies RIA Novosti and TASS and cited by European Pravda, came after his meeting with Ethiopia’s foreign minister.

Speaking to reporters, Lavrov criticized a joint statement by European leaders who reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and backed US President Donald Trump’s recent diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. “A ceasefire now would mean only one thing - that a vast part of Ukraine remains under the control of a Nazi regime,” he said. “It would be the only place on Earth where an entire language is legally banned, not to mention that it is an official UN language and spoken by the majority of the population.”

Lavrov accused what he called Ukraine’s “European patrons and masters” of influencing Washington to abandon any search for a comprehensive peace settlement, opting instead to “simply stop and let history decide.” He also linked the European position to what he described as a shift in US policy, claiming that it contradicted the understanding reached between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Anchorage. “That meeting,” Lavrov said, “was about addressing the root causes of the conflict, not freezing it where it stands.”

The comments followed a joint statement issued by European leaders on October 21, which expressed approval of President Trump’s efforts to broker a ceasefire and suggested that “the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.” According to The Washington Post, during his recent discussion with Trump, Vladimir Putin demanded that Russia be granted full control over Donetsk Oblast as a condition to end the war, while hinting that Moscow might concede parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts in return. Trump, for his part, reportedly supported a proposal to freeze the war along the existing front line but denied urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to surrender all of Donetsk.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that there are no confirmed dates for the anticipated Trump-Putin summit. Speaking to Interfax, Peskov said that neither side had agreed on a specific timeline, emphasizing that “serious preparation is required.” He added, “You have heard statements from both the American side and ours that this could take some time. Therefore, there have been no specific dates mentioned initially.”

Responding to reports that the meeting might be delayed, Peskov explained that discussions about the potential summit in Budapest were ongoing but confidential. “Announcing proposals cannot take place in this ‘shouting-from-the-rooftops manner,’” he said. “This is still quite a discreet process that must remain so in the interests of its effectiveness.”

Earlier this week, CNN reported that a planned meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, intended as preparatory talks for the summit, had been postponed for undisclosed reasons. Moscow dismissed media claims about the postponement as “inaccurate,” though the delay raised speculation that the Trump-Putin meeting could also be pushed back. The Rubio-Lavrov talks were initially expected to take place on October 23.