Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared on September 23 at a UN Security Council session in New York that Moscow will reject any military pause during peace talks with Kyiv. The hardline stance accompanied high-level diplomatic meetings with US officials regarding the ongoing conflict.
Moscow has slammed the door on temporary ceasefires as diplomatic maneuvers heat up in New York. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov outlined the Kremlin’s refusal during a United Nations Security Council meeting on September 23, insisting that halting military operations would merely give European backers time to resupply Ukrainian forces.
Lavrov Rejects Stoppages at UN Security Council
Speaking before international delegates, Lavrov framed the rejection of a temporary halt as a lesson learned from past engagements. He argued that calls for a pause from Western capitals mask an intent to rebuild depleted military arsenals. Although Europe wants exactly this, with the same simple goal of getting a respite and replenishing the depleted military arsenals of the Kyiv regime
, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated, quoting the minister.
Having learned from bitter experience, we will not make a pause in the special military operation during the period of negotiations in any format,
Lavrov said.
In English translation, the minister stated that, having learned from bitter experience, Russia will not pause its special military operation during negotiations in any format. Lavrov maintained that Moscow remains open to negotiations to achieve a sustainable fair peace.
He also argued that Europe wants a respite with the simple goal of giving the Kyiv regime a breather to replenish its depleted military arsenals, which he claimed have turned to outright terrorist methods due to a desperate situation.
Lavrov asserted that one of the tasks of the special military operation, aside from ensuring Russia’s security interests, is the full account of the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people not only in Crimea, Donbas, and Novorossiya, but also on the territory of Ukraine. He complained that laws totally banning the Russian language in all spheres and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been in effect in Ukraine since 2017 with the approval of the West. He also stated that Russia insists on the strict observance of the first article of the UN Charter, which requires all to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction as to race, sex, language, and religion.
Closed-Door Talks With US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
The hardening diplomatic posture came on the heels of a meeting between Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, which lasted about an hour according to the Interfax agency. This marked the fifth meeting between the heads of foreign policy departments of the two countries since 2025.
In turn, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio once again assured at the UN General Assembly in New York that Washington is ready to play a constructive role to achieve a truce. According to reports from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the bilateral discussions touched on the destructive actions of Kyiv, which purposefully strikes the civilian population and trans-border infrastructure objects, leading to the destabilization of world energy markets. Meanwhile, the State Department stated that the conversation between Lavrov and Rubio dealt with the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as bilateral relations between the US and Russia.
G20 Summit Invitation and Broader Demands
Amid the sharp rhetoric at the UN, Rubio also addressed broader international engagement by reporting earlier that the US invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in the G20 summit, which will be held in December in Miami. To solve problems, you need to meet with people with whom you have disagreements or certain frictions, therefore we invited President Putin to the G20 summit,
he noted. Rubio also indicated that the summit in Miami will be an opportunity for the Russian leader to meet with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders, adding that they hope he will accept this invitation.
Lavrov also reported that Russian proposals to agree on the basis of mutual respect for the security interests of Russia, European countries, and North America in December 2021 were rejected. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov reported on September 13 that the UAE is ready to provide a platform for negotiations on Ukraine once again, and the Kremlin did not rule out resuming talks.