Russian FM says Moscow never refused to negotiate with Kyiv
Moscow, Russia - Moscow has never refused to negotiate with Kyiv, there is a lack of goodwill for it on the other side, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.
Speaking at a news conference on the results of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov said since the Istanbul talks in March 2022 there have been no serious proposals on peace talks with Ukraine.
“We have no lack of goodwill. We see its absence from the other side. We still note the desire of the other side to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” he said.
Lavrov criticised French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to send NATO troops to Ukraine as well as US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin’s statement that in case of Ukraine’s defeat, there will be a direct fight between Russia and NATO.
“These trends in the West among the Western leadership negate all assurances that they are interested in some kind of political settlement. There are enough facts that the West is leading to a military solution,” he stressed.
Commenting on a leaked recording where allegedly German officers discuss how to hit effectively the Crimean Bridge and ammunition depots in Russia so that everyone holds the US responsible, Lavrov said: “The situation clearly indicates that the warmongers in Europe are still strong.”
“If anyone had doubts, the latest statements by the French president, Pentagon chief, and the conversation of German generals suggest that the warmongers do not want to change their course in any way to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield. We understand that,” he said.
Lavrov said Switzerland’s Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis surprised him when he said that there are some 10 peace plans on Ukraine, most of which are ‘secret’.
“It seems to me that this statement alone shows that he is not deep in the essence of what is happening,” he noted.
Russia does not rely on Switzerland’s mediation because Geneva lost its neutrality when it joined anti-russian sanctions and backed Ukraine, the minister stressed.
Asked about Russia’s response to Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO, Lavrov said two new military districts - Moscow and Leningrad - were created where weapons relevant to arising threats would be deployed.
The minister said if Russian state assets are seized in the West, Moscow will reciprocate by confiscating Western assets in Russia.
“They come up with various modifications of theft. They say, let’s not touch these billions, we invest these funds in our banks, and we will make a profit and take it for ourselves. It’s still stealing,” he stressed, urging the West to respect the principle of inviolability of property.
We have no lack of goodwill. We see its absence from the other side. We still note the desire of the other side to defeat Russia on the battlefield SERGEY LAVROV