Moscow – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has insisted that Moscow is not seeking to seize Ukrainian territory, but aims to protect ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking communities from what he called persecution by Kyiv.

Speaking in an interview, Lavrov said, “We don’t have any interest in territories. We have the biggest territory on Earth. What we are concerned about is the people who live on those lands, whose ancestors lived there for centuries.” He added that Russia’s goals include removing security threats to Russia from Ukrainian territory and defending the rights of Russian-speaking people who identify with Russian culture and history.

Lavrov argued that Ukraine must allow people in its eastern and southern regions who voted to join Russia in 2014 and 2022 to express their will. He accused Kyiv of dehumanizing those populations and labeling them terrorists.

He also questioned the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelensky, noting that his term expired over a year ago and that elections have been suspended under martial law. Lavrov suggested Zelensky’s calls for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin were “a game” meant to bolster his image, saying,“He wants theatrics in everything,he does not care about substance.”

Lavrov did not rule out direct talks between Putin and Zelensky, but said any agreement would need to be signed by a legitimate representative of Ukraine. He also criticized Zelensky for rejecting discussions on NATO membership and territorial issues, accusing him of defying even the United States.

Russia maintains that any settlement must address what it calls the root causes of the conflict, including Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, denazification and recognition of territories now under Russian control.

Kyiv, however, has said it will not recognize territorial losses, even though Zelensky has expressed readiness to discuss disputes with Moscow.