Russia says it won't stop targeting Ukraine to continue peace talks

• Lavrov accused NATO of seeking to maintain military supremacy over Russia and said Moscow will insist on provisions that would prevent Ukraine from becoming a military threat, per AP.
• He also claimed that Russia had no intentions of starting a nuclear war, despite provocative messaging from the Kremlin over the past week.

What he's saying: "We are ready to conduct talks, but we will continue the operation because we won’t allow Ukraine to preserve a military infrastructure that threatens Russia," Lavrov said, per AP.

• "The thought of nuclear is constantly spinning in the heads of Western politicians but not in the heads of Russians," he added, according to a translation from Reuters. "I assure you that we will not allow any kind of provocation to unbalance us."

Lavrov also acknowledged a toll on Ukrainian civilians, saying "any military action is fraught with casualties, and not just among the military but also civilians."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with an additional quote from Lavrov.