Sergey Lavrov says "There will be no ceasefire" as he rejects a Ukraine war pause in Baku

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected a pause in the Ukraine war during an Oct. 15 news conference in Baku, saying Moscow would not permit a break that lets Ukraine rebuild its military. The remarks followed a question about possible concessions if Kyiv held a presidential vote. According to Lavrov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set election requirements Moscow views as impossible and has not sought a political settlement. Lavrov also criticized Zelensky for opposing a new U.S.-Russian deal relaxing penalties on Russian diesel, saying that stance clashed with President Donald Trump. Lavrov said Western ideas no longer reflected what Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to at their August 2025 Anchorage, Alaska, meeting, and he saw little chance of a deal now.