Russian FM Lavrov says Zelenskyy, European leaders ‘don’t want peace’ in Ukraine

Geopolitical Stance & Conflict Narrative - Russia denies deliberately targeting civilian sites in Ukraine, claiming to only strike military or military-linked industrial enterprises [2][4][8] - Russia alleges Ukrainian forces have targeted churches and civilian settlements [7] - Russia frames its actions as a "special military operation" to protect people from the Ukrainian regime, not an invasion [15][17] - Russia asserts that the people in Novorossia, Donbas, and Crimea voted to belong to Russian culture [14] International Relations & Peace Efforts - Despite President Trump's push for peace, no meeting is planned between Presidents Putin and Zelensky [1] - Russia respects President Trump's focus on US national interests and believes Trump respects Putin's defense of Russian national interests [11][12][18] - Russia suggests some European representatives may not want peace in Ukraine [19] Allegations & Rebuttals - Allegations of Russia targeting civilians, including maternity wards, churches, schools, and hospitals, are refuted by Russia, challenging the source to provide evidence [5][6][9] - Russia questions the accuracy of information presented by NBC News regarding civilian casualties and targeted strikes [6][10]