'We don't want this anymore' — Lavrov confirms Russia has no interest in Ukraine ceasefire

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that Moscow has no interest in negotiations and agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying on May 21 that "we don't want this anymore."

Describing the U.S.-led push for a full, 30-day truce as a "let’s have a ceasefire and then we’ll see" tactic, Lavrov insisted the "root causes" of the war need to be resolved first.

"We have already been in these stories, we don’t want this anymore," Lavrov said, referring to failed negotiations between Moscow and Ukraine following the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

U.S. President Donald Trump proposed a full ceasefire in March. Ukraine immediately agreed and the initiative has been backed by Kyiv's European allies.

Russia has consistently refused, culminating in a phone call on May 19 between Trump and Vladimir Putin, during which the Russian president once again rejected the proposal, instead insisting on negotiating a "memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty."

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Trump briefed European leaders on the contents of the call, telling them that Putin is not ready for peace in Ukraine because he believes he is winning the war, the Wall Street Journal reported on May 22.

The same European leaders were reportedly seemed "surprised" that Trump was "relatively content" with what he heard from Putin, Axios reported on May 20.

During a talk with students at a Russian university, Lavrov also accused European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, of pushing Trump to tighten sanctions against Russia.

Russia initiated peace talks with Ukraine, which took place on May 16, following Moscow's rejection of calls from Ukraine and its allies for an immediate ceasefire.

The talks were largely inconclusive. Russia announced its delegation would consist of low-level officials, led by Putin's aide, Vladimir Medinsky. Moscow reiterated maximalist demands, including that Ukraine accept the loss of Crimea and four eastern regions.

Putin did not attend the Istanbul peace talks on May 16, despite an invitation from President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet him face-to-face.

Lavrov was also absent from the peace talks, signalling Russia's unwillingness to make progress at the Istanbul negotiations.

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