Lavrov says Ukraine war is escalating despite renewed diplomacy, defends U.S.-Russia diesel deal as purely commercial

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the war in Ukraine was likely to continue and showed signs of further escalation, even as President Vladimir Putin held rare talks Tuesday with the leaders of Finland and Norway ahead of renewed U.S.-brokered negotiations.

“The Ukraine war will continue,” Lavrov said. “And I would even say that it shows a tendency toward escalation.”

Putin spoke with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at their request. The Nordic leaders said the call, coordinated with Ukraine, focused on ending the war, de-escalation and upcoming negotiations expected in Abu Dhabi. Lavrov said he had not yet seen detailed records but saw no fundamental change in Europe’s approach to Russia.

He also defended the agreement allowing Russian diesel supplies back onto global markets following an Oct. 9 call between Putin and President Donald Trump, saying it was “a purely business arrangement” with no political or security conditions attached.

“There was nothing like, ‘We will buy diesel fuel from you, and in return you will do something on the political front or on security issues, whether in the Strait of Hormuz or anywhere else,’” Lavrov said.

The United States has issued a temporary authorization facilitating Russian diesel exports, and several tankers carrying Russian fuel are now heading toward U.S. ports as Washington seeks to ease elevated diesel prices.

Lavrov also attacked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, calling European leaders who prioritize defeating Russia “political masochists.” He attributed to Merz a statement that defeating Russia mattered more than Germany, the EU, NATO, the United States or China. Eastora could not independently verify that quotation in official German government records.

Turning to France, Lavrov recalled Emmanuel Macron’s refusal during his 2017 presidential campaign to treat RT and Sputnik as conventional news organizations. Macron publicly accused the Russian state-funded outlets at the time of acting as “organs of influence” and spreading false propaganda.