Lavrov says Russia ready for Ukraine talks but firm on keeping NATO from its borders

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared on Tuesday that Moscow is prepared to seek "reasonable compromises" on Ukraine while holding firm on its demand to keep NATO away from Russia's borders, as diplomatic maneuvering over a potential energy ceasefire intensifies ahead of the U.N. General Assembly later this month.

Openness to Talks, With Conditions

"We are ready, within this position, to seek reasonable compromises, but fundamentally we have not changed our objectives — to ensure our security, to prevent NATO's presence on our borders," Lavrov said during an ambassadorial roundtable on the Ukrainian settlement on Sept. 15. He added that Russia welcomes U.S. interest in facilitating a resolution. "The main thing is that the United States understands the root causes of this conflict, unlike all other Western countries," he said.ommcomnews+1

Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia has "never refused to negotiate" and said Moscow is open to both bilateral and trilateral formats. "We have something to say," he told the roundtable, according to Kyiv Post. He also confirmed plans to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where ministerial events are scheduled for Sept. 22–28. Representatives of both Russia and Ukraine have indicated talks could resume in October, with Abu Dhabi considered a possible venue.meduza+1

Energy Ceasefire in Doubt

Lavrov's remarks came amid uncertainty over an energy ceasefire proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. On Sept. 14, Trump posted on Truth Social that "Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise!" But as RFE/RL reported, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Trump's call for Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure without confirming Moscow would reciprocate.rferl

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded with conditions, writing on X that Ukraine would halt strikes only "if our partners are ready to ensure that Russia genuinely refrains from striking our electricity system, other energy facilities, critical infrastructure, and food supply routes". He insisted any partial ceasefire must be "reliable and long-term" and hold beyond Russia's parliamentary elections scheduled for Sept. 18–20.politico+1

Strikes Continue on the Ground

Despite the diplomatic signals, fighting has not stopped. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces conducted overnight drone strikes on Ukrainian logistics infrastructure, including targets in the Odesa region and the port of Chornomorsk. Ukraine's parliament also voted to dismiss Prosecutor-General Ruslan Kravchenko, who had been in the role since June 2025, after a corruption scandal in his office. The motion, submitted by Zelensky, passed with 317 votes in favor.chinadailyhk

Three rounds of trilateral talks between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia took place in January and February 2026 — two in Abu Dhabi and one in Geneva — but no talks in that format have been held since.meduza