Russia will settle for nothing less than a demilitarized Ukraine and the annexation of 20% of the nation in any peace settlement, Russia’s foreign minister said in an interview, demands that would suggest President Vladimir Putin is flouting President Donald Trump’s call for peace to end the three-year war, according to multiple reports.

Days after Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper O Globo that “the international recognition of Crimea, Sevastopol, (Donetsk), (Luhansk), Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as part of Russia,” adding Ukraine itself must recognize 20% of its country as sovereign Russian territory.

“All the commitments (Kyiv) assumes must be legally binding, contain enforcement mechanisms and be permanent,” Lavrov told the outlet.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.