In remarks carried Thursday by Russian state media and reported by Agence France-Presse, Lavrov rejected the notion of externally imposed timelines for negotiations. "Have you heard anything from us about deadlines? We have no deadlines. We have tasks we are working on,” he said, signaling that Russia sees the diplomatic track as subordinate to its strategic aims on the ground.

Separately, Vladimir Medinsky, who heads Russia’s delegation in talks with Ukraine, said Moscow handed over the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv in exchange for the remains of 35 Russian servicemen, according to Russia Today. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the figures. If verified, the transfer would be among the largest repatriations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

In Warsaw, **Polish Foreign Minister** Radosław Sikorski told parliament that the conflict — now in its fifth year — will shape the architecture of global power. "This war will decide which side becomes the third pillar, alongside the United States and China, of the new global balance,” he said in his annual address, warning that "the international system is shaking at its foundations.”

Poland, a member of the European Union and NATO, shares a long border with Ukraine and has been one of Kyiv’s most consistent military supporters.

The juxtaposition of Moscow’s open-ended posture and Warsaw’s systemic framing highlights the widening geopolitical stakes as diplomatic prospects remain uncertain.