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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has listed Moscow's demands for a peace deal that would end its ongoing invasion of Ukraine*,* including Kyiv's demilitarization and neutrality, international recognition of territory occupied by Moscow, and the lifting of sanctions.
"These provisions must be included in a legally binding agreement for peaceful settlement," Lavrov told Hungarian publication Magyar Nemzet in an interview.
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.
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President Donald Trump is trying to broker a swift end to Russia's war, a major test of his self-styled "peacemaker" status, but said a recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin left him very disappointed, and he did not think Moscow wanted to end the fighting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pointed to the ongoing pounding of his country's cities by Russian strikes as evidence that Putin does not truly seek peace and intends to continue waging war to meet his goals until he is forced to stop.
Lavrov Details Russia's Demands
Lavrov said an end to the security threat posed to Russia by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) expansion, including its potential inclusion of Ukraine, was essential. He demanded the demilitarization of Ukraine to ensure Kyiv's neutrality.
Moscow's top diplomat also said his country wants protections for ethnic Russians and Russian culture in Ukraine, which he accused Kyiv of "destroying" since 2014.
Lavrov demanded "international legal recognition of the new territorial realities," citing Russian occupation of Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
And Lavrov also called for "lifting sanctions on Russia, rescinding all lawsuits against Russia, and returning the illegally seized Western-based assets."
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Russia-Ukraine War Latest
Russia fired more than 100 drones at civilian areas of Ukraine overnight into Monday, authorities said. At least 10 civilians were killed and 38 injured, including three children, in Russian attacks over the previous 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia has intensified its aerial strikes on civilian areas after more than three years of war.
Over the past week, Russia launched some 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and almost 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine, Zelensky said Monday.
One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, 27 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.
Russian short-range drones also killed two people and injured two others in the northern Sumy region, officials said. Sumy is one of the places where Russia has concentrated large numbers of troops.
Also, nine people were injured and seven killed in the eastern Donetsk region, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said. He didn't specify the type of weapons used.
Russia's defense ministry said Monday that its troops shot down 91 Ukrainian drones in 13 Russian regions overnight, as well as over the Black Sea and the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
Russia Pushes as Zelensky Seeks Drones
Moscow's bigger army is also trying hard to break through at some points along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620 miles) front line where Ukrainian forces are severely stretched.
The strain of keeping Russia's invasion at bay, and the lack of progress in direct peace talks, has compelled Ukraine to seek more military help from the United States and Europe.
On Saturday, Zelensky said his country had inked deals with European allies and a leading U.S. defense company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year.
"Air defense is the main thing for protecting life," Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Monday.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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