Lavrov says Russia will not halt war for talks with Ukraine

September 12, 2026 at 11:16 PM2 min

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that Russia is ready for negotiations but will not stop the war in Ukraine during them. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents at the G20 summit in Miami impossible, saying it could only take place in Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had proposed meeting Vladimir Putin at the December summit.

Key Facts

Sergei Lavrov said Russia is ready for negotiations but will not stop the war in Ukraine during them, speaking in New Delhi on September 12.
Dmitry Peskov said a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky at the G20 summit in Miami is impossible and could only take place in Moscow.
Volodymyr Zelensky told DW on September 11 that he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Miami in December if the Russian leader attends.
Zelensky and Putin have not met in person since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Lavrov's Statement

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday, September 12, that Russia is ready for negotiations but will not stop the war in Ukraine during them. Speaking at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Lavrov said that if Volodymyr Zelensky wants to meet, he should come to Moscow.

Kremlin Response

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP in New Delhi that a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents at the G20 summit in Miami is impossible. Peskov said the meeting could only take place in the Russian capital, rejecting the Ukrainian leader's proposal. When asked whether the Kremlin is considering an alternative venue for negotiations, Peskov replied: "There is readiness to meet with him (Zelensky) in Moscow."

Zelensky's Proposal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told DW on September 11 that he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Miami in December if the Russian leader attends. "Yes, of course. We must come. We must meet, talk and make decisions. It's not about words. It doesn't matter what I say to him or what he wants to say to me. Only the result matters. That's all," Zelensky said. Zelensky and Putin have not met in person since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The Russian president has not attended G20 summits since 2019.