Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on Monday that although Moscow is still interested in talks with Ukraine, the country’s military measures would not be suspended if the two sides reach an agreement.

Negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration are progressing at a slower pace than Russian officials had anticipated, according to a source.

According to the news agency, President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to halt operations during the first round of negotiations in late February, citing statements made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Russian state television on Monday.

Lavrov reportedly said. “After we became convinced that the Ukrainians were not planning to reciprocate, a decision was made that during the next rounds of talks, there would be no pause [in military action] so long as a final agreement is not reached,”