Lavrov sets high stakes for Ukraine peace talks amid tension
Sergey Lavrov gave an extensive interview to the state-run TASS agency. The head of Russian diplomacy emphasized the need for a "lasting agreement on Ukraine." Simultaneously, in a propagandistic discourse, Lavrov continued to set absurd, impossible-to-fulfill conditions for Ukraine.
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In the interview, Lavrov stated that no official signals have yet come from the West to the Kremlin expressing a desire to start negotiations on Ukraine. He declared that "Russia is ready for talks, but they must concern credible agreements."
- Of course, we are not satisfied with the proposals made on behalf of President-elect Donald Trump's team, concerning the postponement of Ukraine's NATO membership by 20 years and the introduction of a peacekeeping contingent of British and European forces into Ukraine - Lavrov stated.
The politician emphasized that a potential peace agreement should include provisions "eliminating the causes" of the war in Ukraine.
However, in practice, their inclusion may prove unfeasible. In the past, Russia has repeatedly imposed absurd, impossible-to-fulfill criteria on Ukraine as conditions for ending military actions. These include "demilitarization and denazification" of the country and limiting Ukraine's sovereignty by forcing it to forgo joining NATO.
Lavrov assessed that among Alliance members, "there is a visible lack of unity on Ukrainian membership." - NATO expansion was one of the main causes of the Ukrainian crisis. Ensuring Ukraine's neutral status remains one of the goals of the special military operation, which must be achieved - he declared.
Russia awaits Trump. Lavrov is already setting conditions
The head of Russian diplomacy also spoke about how he envisions cooperation between the Kremlin and Donald Trump's administration.
- Even if Donald Trump attempts to restore bilateral ties, he will have to "swim against the current," considering the bipartisan consensus in the United States on containing Russia (...). If the Americans consider our interests, the dialogue will gradually be restored. If they do not take this into account, everything will remain as it is - he stated.
Source: TASS
