Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov claims readiness for new peace talks at 'any time'
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Moscow is ready to hold peace talks with Ukraine at any time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a group of ambassadors on June 23, as reported by the Russian state-aligned media outlet Interfax.
The claim follows EU leaders largely agreeing at a June 18 summit that Russia is not seriously pursuing peace talks, and weeks of Russian forces bombarding civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including most famously the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
Lavrov's remarks also come after U.S. President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky to act "more boldly" against Russia, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke to the Kyiv Independent.
"We are ready to resume (peace talks) at any time, picking up where they left off," Lavrov said, according to Interfax.
The comments contrast with Lavrov signaling only two weeks earlier that developments on the battlefield, rather than diplomacy, would determine the course of the war.
The Russian foreign minister added that he expects the terms for such talks to be based on agreements between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump at their meeting in Alaska in August 2025.
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Russia's key demand for negotiations has included Ukraine's withdrawal from the eastern region of Donbas, a non-starter for Kyiv.
Moscow's recent signals of openness to peace talks come as European officials debate who should represent Europe in potential future negotiations with Russia.
France, Germany, and the U.K. held talks with Russia in the so-called E3 format on June 11, and European Council President Antonio Costa's top advisor held a separate conversation with Moscow to open a direct diplomatic channel.
Both attempts landed poorly with a range of EU countries, particularly the Nordic and Baltic countries, which have pushed for a more inclusive approach.
Zelensky previously said that the window for peace talks with Russia is open until the winter of 2026, at which point Moscow is expected to again step up its attacks on Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure.
