Lavrov Says Rights of Russian-Speaking People Not Negotiable in Any Peace Talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there can be no bargaining over the rights of Russian-speaking people in any future peace negotiations, according to a report published by the Russian state news agency TASS.

In remarks cited by TASS, Lavrov said the West "forgives the Kiev regime for everything," though the outlet did not provide further detail on the context of the statement, such as when or where it was made.

TASS did not publish additional quotes or elaboration from Lavrov on what specific rights or guarantees he was referring to, nor did it specify which peace talks he meant.

Russia has repeatedly stated during its war in Ukraine that protecting the interests of Russian-speaking populations is among its objectives. Ukrainian and Western officials have disputed such characterizations in the past, though no response from Kyiv or Western governments was included in the TASS report.

This report is based solely on information provided by TASS; further details on the statement's context were not immediately available.