Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly undermined peace negotiations with Russia because he fears any agreement acceptable to Moscow and Washington would end his rule, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference in Bahrain, the top diplomat accused Kiev of taking actions that derailed diplomatic progress whenever Russia and Ukraine appeared close to resuming negotiations.
“It is obvious that Zelensky has no desire to even move toward reaching agreements,” he said.
“Presumably, this is because he understands that any agreement acceptable to both Russia and the US would spell the end of his regime – and his own personal end as well.”
Ukraine has repeatedly attacked civilian targets shortly after signs of progress in peace talks, including discussions backed by US President Donald Trump, the top diplomat said. Such incidents have convinced Moscow that Zelensky does not want negotiations to succeed, he added.
Lavrov pointed to a December 2019 summit in Paris, where Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany agreed on steps toward implementing the Minsk peace agreements, which Kiev subsequently failed to honor. Lavrov also blamed Zelensky for disrupting negotiations in Istanbul in 2025 and subsequent trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.
With negotiations having stalled without a breakthrough, Ukraine has maintained its megaphone diplomacy, publicly calling for new negotiations and demanding an unconditional ceasefire. Moscow has repeatedly rejected temporary truces, insisting on a long-term peace deal that addresses the root causes of the conflict.
Trump’s latest peace initiative included an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, which he announced on October 11, following a US deal to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports. However, neither Moscow nor Kiev confirmed the truce. Zelensky said the announcement had surprised him, while the Kremlin acknowledged only ongoing discussions. Kiev struck two major Russian refineries just days after the US president’s announcement.
Trump has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil facilities, blaming the strikes for worsening fuel shortages and squeezing Americans at the pump – a politically sensitive issue with the US midterm elections just weeks away.
The dispute has since widened, with Zelensky accusing Washington of withholding intelligence on Russian missile attacks and restricting Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network, which Kiev uses for drone guidance. Trump denied ordering the restrictions on Friday, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the allegations on Saturday, saying the US had not deliberately slowed Starlink services.
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