G7 says Russia can end conflict 'today'

According to RIA Novosti news agency, G7 foreign ministers at a meeting in Italy on April 19 said Moscow could end the conflict in Ukraine "as early as today".

Along with that, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries once again asked Russia to withdraw its forces from territories that the West considers to belong to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the media on April 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow is ready to negotiate, but not like the "Istanbul story". Russia will not stop fighting during the negotiation process.

Foreign Minister Lavrov explained that Russia has no reason to believe that Ukraine will keep its promises.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has entered its third year and shows no signs of abating. Peace talks have been stalled since March 2022, when the two sides held talks in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the special operation was a forced measure; Russia "had no opportunity to do otherwise; the security risks were so alarming that it was impossible to respond with other measures".

According to President Putin, Russia has been trying for 30 years to reach an agreement with NATO on security principles in Europe, but in response, the country has faced "deception and skepticism". Meanwhile, despite Moscow's objections, NATO is still gradually expanding and approaching the borders of the Russian Federation./.