Russian Foreign Minister: NATO is actually fighting on Ukraine's side.

"Once again, we want to talk about the destructive course of action by NATO countries, countries that have been drawn into the conflict for a long time and are becoming increasingly bogged down. In my opinion, they are in fact waging war on the side of the Kiev government," he said at a press conference after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: Tass

"Such statements were recently recorded by our colleague, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when he declared that a ceasefire would now benefit the Russian Federation, and that this could not be allowed to happen. I find it difficult to understand the basis of such analyses, frankly, such shallow ones. The only assumption is that the West does not want to stop this war, seeing its geopolitical interests in the war, mainly because they are trying to eliminate another competitor on the world stage, the Russian Federation," Lavrov emphasized.

Responding to a question about the Kremlin's assessment of the prospects for ending hostilities and whether the special military operation would conclude this year, Russian President's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "These assessments should be made by the experts handling the special military operation – the Ministry of Defense."

"If you are talking about a war in the broadest sense of the word, a confrontation with hostile nations, unfriendly nations, a hybrid war that they have waged against our country, then it will continue for a long time. And here we need steadfastness, confidence, clear purpose, and solidarity in solidarity with the President," Peskov concluded.