Lavrov declares working on Ukraine peace memorandum at ‘advanced stage’
(MENAFN) Russia is nearing completion of a memorandum proposing steps toward a peace deal with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Friday. Speaking at a conference in Moscow, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s willingness to continue diplomatic discussions with Kiev, following the revival of negotiations in Istanbul earlier this month after a three-year break.
“We do support the idea of negotiations,” Lavrov stated, noting that a second round of talks is confirmed by the Ukrainian side — a move he called a positive development.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that he and US President Donald Trump had agreed the next step toward ending the conflict should be a formal memorandum defining key principles and a timeline for a resolution.
When asked about the document’s progress, Lavrov said, “I can’t speak for the Ukrainian side, but our draft is already at an advanced stage. Regardless, we will present it to Ukraine as agreed, and expect them to do the same.”
Lavrov added that the date and location for the next meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegates is still undecided. “There’s a lot of speculation about when and where it will be, but we don’t have anything concrete yet,” he noted.
He also addressed the possibility of holding future talks at the Vatican — an idea endorsed by Trump — but expressed skepticism about its feasibility. “It’s a bit awkward, frankly, when Orthodox nations discuss conflict resolution on a Catholic platform,” Lavrov remarked.
He cited Kiev’s actions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) as a core issue in the conflict. Lavrov criticized the Ukrainian government’s alleged efforts to dismantle the UOC, despite the church’s formal break from the Moscow Patriarchate in 2022. He highlighted recent arrests of clergy and raids on church properties, including incidents at the historic Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia remains committed to defending Orthodox believers in Ukraine.
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