Russian Foreign Minister raises key issues in resolving Ukraine conflict

According to RIA Novosti, at a press conference after the 7th ministerial meeting of the Russian Strategic Dialogue on September 9, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that there are no initiatives to resolve the conflict in Ukraine related to the rights of Russian-speaking residents in the regions of Ukraine.

“I draw particular attention to the fact that none of the initiatives, including those put forward by our good partners, the friends with the best initiatives, none of these peace formulas touch on the issue of the rights of Russian-speaking people in the lands that President Zelensky considers to be Ukrainian,” Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said.

Mr. Lavrov added that he had discussed the topic with colleagues from India and Brazil, which are demonstrating “a concrete, caring approach” to helping the parties in the conflict overcome the crisis.

The Russian Foreign Minister made it clear that he drew the attention of representatives of New Delhi and Brasilia to the fact that the rights of Russian-speaking people are a key issue in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

“If we discuss the call for a ceasefire and think about exchanging territories, this is not serious. Because, I repeat, the issue is not territorial, the issue is that the rights of people in Ukraine have been trampled, according to the law. And about that, so far, no initiative in the political space has been specifically mentioned,” Foreign Minister Lavrov stressed.

The Russian foreign minister also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s conditions for ending the conflict an ultimatum. According to Lavrov, the West’s support for these demands shows that it is not ready for “realistic agreements” to resolve the situation. Lavrov reiterated that Ukraine’s allies still hope for Russia’s strategic defeat on the battlefield.