Russia ruled out a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine if, what it described as the "root causes" of the conflict, are not met.
The remarks came from Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov after the White House cancelled a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest.
The diplomat claimed that Moscow’s key demands - a forever ban on Ukraine’s NATO membership and an end to what he called a "de-facto genocide of Russian-speaking population" - would be sidelined if fighting stopped immediately.
These demands have long featured in Russia’s narrative. But how much truth is there to them?
Russia-NATO relations
For years, Moscow has argued that NATO’s expansion in eastern Europe was testing its patience.
Despite a long history of hostile relations between the alliance and the Kremlin, there was a short thaw period in the 1990s following the end of the cold war.
Ties warmed briefly in the 1990s, and at one point, US President Bill Clinton was reportedly pushing for admitting Russia to the alliance - which was met with strong objections in Europe, particularly from Germany.
The eventual rejection by NATO appears to have deepened the Russian leader’s grievances and fueled a growing sense of betrayal.
Only recently, Mr Putin said that Russia "tried to join NATO twice" but was "shut down right at the door".
Moscow and the alliance did, however, start a promising partnership in 1997 by signing the "Founding Act on mutual relations, cooperation and security".
In a promise that now rings of a vanished utopia, the parties vowed to "cooperate to prevent any possibility of returning to a Europe of division and confrontation".
There were hopes of collaborating with Moscow in fighting terrorism and preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
According to a widespread claim in the Russian media, the 1997 act banned Russia and NATO from permanently deploying troops along the mutual border.
Eastern countries rushing to join NATO
Russia has also maintained that the alliance promised not to admit eastern European countries to its ranks.
No such promises were included in the 1997 act or other documents.
What was outlined, however, is the principle of "respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all states and their inherent right to choose the means to ensure their own security".
Russia’s neighbours were very eager to exercise that right, following decades of difficult history under Moscow’s rule which included mass deportations, repressions and surveillance.
The Baltic states and Poland rushed to join NATO viewing it as their best security guarantee.
Likewise, Ukraine has long advocated for its right for self-determination, politically and militarily - though its NATO accession appears unlikely in the foreseeable future.
Alleged discrimination of Russian-speaking populations
The alleged discrimination of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine is another "root cause" of the war in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
Historically, Russian was widely spoken in Ukraine and had an official status until the end of the Soviet Union.
After decades of suppression, the Ukrainian language was given the status of the sole official language, while still coexisting with Russian.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea and interference in the Donbas opened a new chapter.
In reaction, Kyiv moved towards stricter laws limiting the use of Russian by media, book publishers and government bodies, accusing the Kremlin of using the language for regional destabilisation and propaganda.
Moscow called those measures "discriminatory".
Nevertheless, according to the 2019 survey, 81% of Ukrainians supported the Russian language being taught in school and many spoke it at home.
Full-scale invasion
The full-scale invasion became another turning point.
Moscow’s attempt to "protect" the Russian-speaking population by force led to the opposite result, pushing many Ukrainians away from Russian culture.
The 2024 survey conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, found that 66% of Ukrainians believe that the Russian language must be removed from official communication throughout Ukraine. That compares to only 18% in 1997.
There is a wider concern in the region that Moscow could use the language as an excuse for further aggression beyond Ukraine.
Russian was vigorously imposed by the Kremlin in the Communist Bloc, through school curricula and large resettlement of "mainland" Russians.
In the aftermath, many post-Soviet countries found themselves with Russian as the dominant language.
Ukraine a 'creation of Vladimir Lenin'
Their attempts to revive their native tongues have been consistently branded by the Kremlin as discrimination.
Yet, Ukraine is particularly important for Mr Putin, who sees its sovereignty as a glitch of history.
In an article title 'On historic unity of Russians and Ukrainians,' published just six months before the full-scale invasion, Mr Putin claimed that Ukraine was a "creation of Vladimir Lenin" and that its independence had cost Russia part of its territories.
In Alaska, Mr Trump was reportedly subjected to a similar history lecture.
Not known for his appetite with lengthy lessons, the US president is apparently losing patience with the Kremlin’s refusal to agree to an immediate ceasefire - responding by imposing sanctions on Russian oil for the first time.
