In a major statement today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Ukraine “has the right to exist,” but with a territorial caveat that immediately reignited international debate over the war.

Lavrov made the remarks during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. When asked whether President Vladimir Putin believes Ukraine has a legitimate right to sovereignty, Lavrov responded that Kyiv’s existence is conditional — suggesting that Ukraine must allow regions with strong pro-Russian sentiment to separate.

He referred to people in areas such as Donbas, Crimea, and other parts of eastern Ukraine as having expressed, through what Russia called referendums, their desire to join Russian culture and reject Kyiv’s authority. Lavrov accused Ukraine’s post-2014 government of attempting to suppress Russian identity.

Back in 2022, Russia staged controversial votes in four Ukrainian regions — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — which Moscow claimed showed overwhelming support for annexation. Western governments, however, condemned those referendums as illegal and staged under occupation.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is working to push both sides toward a negotiated settlement. President Trump — now back in the White House — has met separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin within days of each other.

Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking on the same program, stressed that U.S. support will continue, but without direct military involvement.

“The president’s been very clear — there will be no American boots on the ground in Ukraine,” Vance said. “But we are going to keep providing the security guarantees Ukraine needs to stop the war on their end.”

For now, Lavrov’s comments underline Moscow’s continued position: Ukraine’s sovereignty is recognized in words — but only under Russian-defined conditions.

Stay with us here on SNEWS TV for continuing coverage of the conflict.

Reporting by Lisa Lomami.