'Draw is not possible': political schizophrenic Lavrov attacks Zelenskyy

Lavrov also described the recently proposed Victory Plan by the Ukrainian president as "schizophrenic."

Lavrov disagreed with Lukashenko’s suggestion to end the Russia-Ukraine war in a draw. “A draw is not possible,” emphasized the “Putin’s Ribbentrop” and reminded of the proposals made by the Russian president back in January 2022, just before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

These proposals were aimed at securing guarantees for Russia by preventing former Soviet republics from integrating with Euro-Atlantic institutions, as well as removing modern weaponry from the territories of new NATO member states that had joined the alliance after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Even then, in 2022, the Kremlin's proposals were perceived by the United States and European NATO member states as unrealistic, if only because they challenged not only the sovereignty of Ukraine, Georgia, and other former Soviet republics but also the sovereignty of NATO member states themselves. In essence, they allowed Moscow to decide for them what NATO’s future configuration should look like and what weapons should be allowed on the territories of sovereign states that had joined the Alliance.

However, as we can see, neither Lavrov—nor, by extension, Putin—has drawn any conclusions since then. This raises a blunt question: what kind of negotiations with the Russian Federation are those in the West expecting when they constantly speak about the need to bring Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin to the negotiation table? Do they really not realize that the Russian leader is, at least in the near future, not interested in any negotiations with Ukraine that do not involve the capitulation of the neighboring state and the annexation of its territories into the Russian Federation?

In other words, Putin remains committed to the objectives he set for his military in 2022, objectives he has not once considered abandoning. He has merely emphasized that he is open to seeing them achieved through political as well as military means. The Kremlin consistently references these goals when discussing the objectives of the so-called "special military operation" that Putin announced back in February 2022.

From Lavrov's statements, one can draw a realistic and accurate conclusion: no negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are likely, not only in the coming months but possibly even for years. 

The only potential agreements could be on humanitarian issues, if the Russian leadership finds them in its interest. Any negotiations that do happen would only arise if Russia lacks the financial, military, and demographic resources to continue its confrontation with Ukraine. Putin and his associates view this as an existential struggle with the Western world, one they intend to end not in a draw but with Russia's victory, Ukraine’s destruction, and the humiliation of the West. This is so that the United States and Western European countries will never again interfere in Russia's sphere of influence or try to dictate to Putin and the Kremlin where Russia’s borders and interests lie. Moscow aims to settle this matter on its own, through force, not negotiation.

When Lavrov speaks about someone else's schizophrenia, it’s essential to remember the political schizophrenia of the Russian leadership, which is also supported by a majority of Russia’s chauvinistically inclined citizens.

Meanwhile, as we talk about the possibility of negotiations, Russia continues to construct an alternate reality. The Minsk Security Conference where Lavrov spoke is a perfect example of this. Russians are no longer invited to the Munich conference and aren’t welcome to present their view of the world, as Russian politicians are now seen by any civilized person as bloody aggressors.

But does that stop them? Not at all. Russia proposed its own conference in Minsk through Lukashenko. This event has also served as a platform for the Belarusian leader to deliver his so-called peace-oriented speeches and offer Belarus’ role in fictional peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. It’s as if Belarus somehow remains separate from Russia's aggressive actions, as if Belarusian territory hasn’t been used for aggression against Ukraine. It’s as if Lukashenko and Putin aren’t constantly discussing the possibility of Belarusian troops joining the war in Ukraine. Instead, Belarus is portrayed as a mediator trying to rescue the European continent and, from Lukashenko’s perspective, to save Ukraine from inevitable defeat in this war.

This is the true nature of Russia’s political intentions. If Russia is expelled from established international structures, it constructs a mirror-world, creating a parallel system of international forums and even manages to find Western politicians willing to lend credibility to these forums with their presence, suggesting this is not a mirror-world but an actual and respected political environment.

For example, at the BRICS forum in Kazan, as we know, UN Secretary-General António Guterres was present alongside Putin. Not only did he meet with Putin, but he also met with the Belarusian leader Lukashenko. And at the Minsk Eurasian Security Conference, not only was Sergey Lavrov in attendance, but also Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, who sarcastically remarked that he hoped the European Union wouldn’t be angry with him for attending.

In fact, the mere precedent of a foreign minister from a country that currently holds the EU presidency attending an international conference hosted by a dictator who has usurped power—and giving a platform to the Russian foreign minister for his aggressive rhetoric—is nothing short of a disgrace for both the EU and NATO. Hungary continues to defend its alternative stance within these alliances without facing any real consequences.

So, we understand why Sergey Lavrov, himself politically erratic, calls others schizophrenic—because he has the opportunity and allies to do so.

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About the author. Vitaly Portnikov, journalist, winner of the Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.