If you pay attention to what Lavrov consistently says, it's not about territory or NATO, it's about the mythical "nazism" that the special operation was supposed to root out, it's about the concocted stories of the persecution of Russian speakers in Ukraine (of which Zelensky is one), it's about the supposed suppression of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine (a front for the Russian FSB), and if you listen to Putin - as Trump got thoroughly fed up of doing in Alaska - it's about historical grievances stretching back to the time of the Vikings and beyond.
If you listen to Russia's state-sponsored propagandists, it's about imposing Russkiy Mir on the whole of Europe and beyond through literally bloodthirsty and genocidal means.
As for Ukraine not having driven Russia back over the course of two summers, you seem to be the victim of selective and faulty recall.
This was in March 2022:
This was in August 2025:
In any case, obsession about supposed territorial gains ignores how tenuous Russia's hold on that (usually ruined) territory is and how much of it is PR - suicide dashes by small squads to plant flags on prominent public buildings etc. for a photo op then try desperately to run away, for instance.
As for how it changes, it's changing right now as Ukraine systematically strips Russia of its oil and gas processing and conveying facilities, severely hampering its transport and trade, and consequently its national income.
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