Russian Foreign Minister: The West and Ukraine do not want to resolve the conflict
(Baonghean.vn) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that to maintain peace in Ukraine, Ukrainian leaders must return to a state of "neutrality, non-bloc and non-nuclear", as well as accept "new territorial realities".
Launching a military campaign against Ukraine nearly two years ago, President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia was seeking to “demilitarize” and “de-Nazify” Kiev, a goal that has remained unchanged. He also cited Ukraine’s desire to join NATO as the reason for the military action, with the Kremlin viewing the US-led military bloc’s continued eastward expansion as a major national security issue.
In an interview with Brazil’s Globo newspaper on February 21, Lavrov said that Russia is ready to seek a diplomatic solution in Ukraine. However, “neither Kiev nor the West has shown the political will to resolve the conflict,” he added.
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the Ukrainian leadership and its supporters are “insistently promoting (Ukrainian President) Zelensky’s peace formula,” which constitutes an “unacceptable ultimatum for Russia.” Mr. Lavrov pointed out that Ukrainian and Western officials have flatly rejected any other proposals to end hostilities.
Foreign Minister Lavrov affirmed: “We have no other choice, the special military operation will continue until the goal is achieved.” Mr. Lavrov is skeptical about restoring relations between Russia and the European Union (EU).
Referring to the upcoming US presidential election in November, he said that both Republicans and Democrats see Russia as “an adversary and a threat.” Lavrov concluded: “We have no illusions, we do not expect the US anti-Russian line to change in the near future.”
Over the weekend, President Putin said that unlike NATO members, Russia views the conflict in Ukraine as a “matter of life and death.” In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson earlier this month, the Russian head of state said Moscow had not yet achieved its goal of eradicating Nazi ideology in Ukraine.