Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered a rare glimpse into Moscow's true ambitions in Ukraine during a televised interview Tuesday, according to an analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
While the Kremlin has long insisted that its military campaign is aimed at defending Russian-speaking populations and securing disputed territories, Lavrov's remarks suggest a broader and more profound goal: ensuring political dominance over all of Ukraine.
Lavrov asserted that Russia has "never talked about the need to seize any territories" from Ukraine.
He claimed Moscow's objective was never to annex Crimea, Donbas, or other regions, but instead to "protect" the people of Ukraine from what he described as an illegitimate and oppressive government in Kyiv.
The foreign minister's comments stand in stark contradiction to Russia's actions since 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea in a move condemned internationally as illegal.
They also conflict with repeated Russian demands that Ukraine and its Western partners recognize Moscow's annexation of large swaths of territory, including areas not fully under Russian control.
Despite this contradiction, ISW analysts say Lavrov's framing reveals the Kremlin's deeper strategic objectives.
"The Kremlin seeks to remove Ukraine's democratically elected leadership and replace it with a pro-Russian government," ISW noted.
"This would allow Moscow to control Ukraine politically without necessarily relying on outright annexation or maintaining full military control over its territory."
In his interview, Lavrov made a series of demands that strike directly at Ukraine's sovereignty.
He insisted that Kyiv repeal laws on language and religion — issues ISW stresses are matters of internal governance for any sovereign state.
By framing these domestic laws as barriers to peace, Lavrov effectively positioned Russia as the arbiter of Ukraine's internal affairs.
"There can be no talk of any long-term agreements without respect for Russia's security and the rights of Russian-speakers in Ukraine," Lavrov said, adding that these "reasons must be urgently eliminated in the context of a settlement."
Analysts interpret such language as a rejection of Ukraine's right to self-govern.
Instead of acknowledging Ukraine as a sovereign state with the authority to set its own laws and policies, Lavrov's remarks reinforce the Kremlin's narrative that Ukraine is a wayward territory requiring Russian oversight.
The ISW argues that Russia's ultimate goal is not simply to carve out territory in eastern Ukraine, but to subordinate the entire country to Moscow's influence.
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