Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any eventual peace agreement with Ukraine must require Kyiv to accept ‘demilitarization’ and ‘denazification’, drop all legal claims against Russia, lift sanctions, and return frozen Russian assets. Speaking in an interview published on 7 July by Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet, Lavrov added that the pact should also acknowledge what he called the “new territorial reality” created since Moscow’s 2022 invasion. Lavrov’s remarks reiterate long-standing Kremlin demands first presented during stalled negotiations in Istanbul in early 2022, but go further by explicitly linking the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of Russian assets to a settlement. He did not specify a timeline for talks or detail the territories whose status Russia wants recognised. Ukraine has repeatedly rejected calls to cede territory or curtail its armed forces, insisting that any deal must respect its internationally recognised borders and provide security guarantees. Western governments have likewise said sanctions will remain until Russia withdraws its troops. The war, now in its fourth year, continues to grind on the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine.