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Russia Refuses Unconditional Ceasefire in Ukraine, Accuses Macron and Starmer of Pressure
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 21 that Moscow will not agree to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, dismissing mounting pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The statement follows a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on May 19, during which Putin referred to the potential development of a memorandum that might include a temporary ceasefire.
Lavrov dismissed proposals to agree to a truce, arguing that the so-called “root causes” of the war must be addressed first.
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“Now, when we’re being told, 'Let’s have a ceasefire and then we’ll see, ' we respond, 'No, we’ve been through this before, and we don’t want to repeat it, '” Lavrov said.
Lavrov also accused European leaders, Macron, Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of pressuring Trump to impose stricter sanctions on Russia.
On May 20, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the war in Ukraine reflects a fundamental difference: Russia wants what isn’t theirs, while Ukraine is seeking to recover lost areas through means that may not be achievable militarily.
