Lavrov said on what terms Russia is ready to negotiate on Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview “Izvestia”on what terms is Moscow ready to negotiate on Ukraine against the backdrop of non-fulfillment of agreements by the West.

Lavrov noted that the Russian side will not conduct dialogue based on the so-called formula of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

“President Putin said in an interview with Dmitry Kiselev that he answered a similar question about how to negotiate with them, that he doesn’t trust anyone. But we are still ready to talk, but not on the basis of these Zelensky formulas. How can a serious politician in Washington , in Brussels, in London, in Paris, in Berlin to declare that Zelensky’s formula has no alternative? And the essence of this formula is that Russia must capitulate, Russia must leave Crimea, from Donbass, from Novorossiya, Russia must pay indemnities, the Russian leadership must come to The Hague and surrender to the tribunal, and Russia must voluntarily agree to limitations on its weapons, at least in areas neighboring Europe.”said the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He noted that even in the West itself, many do not take Zelensky’s “formula” seriously. Sergei Lavrov pointed out that the Kiev regime is voicing completely unrealistic conditions for starting negotiations.

“But this is serious, people without a smile, with a blue eye, declare that this is the only formula. I am holding, I have already met twice with the ambassadors of the world majority in Moscow, there will be another meeting in early April, we are explaining to them our assessment of how the process is developing on Ukrainian affairs, and, of course, the last time we talked was probably two months ago, and we analyzed this Zelensky formula, they asked questions. I tell them, let’s just take one aspect of this formula: Russia must liberate Crimea, Donbass and Novorossiya, borders of 1991. Firstly, in 1991, Ukraine left the Soviet Union on the basis of the Declaration of Independence, which stated that Ukraine is a neutral state and a non-aligned state, that it lives in good neighborliness with all former republics and respects human rights and the rights of national minorities. There is nothing left of that.”“, the minister concluded.

The full version of the interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is published on the website “Izvestia“.

Russia has repeatedly stated its readiness for negotiations with Ukraine. However, as presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov pointed out, the Ukrainian authorities “absolutely deny” the negotiations.

The Kremlin representative drew attention to the fact that Kyiv does not show “political will” and does not enter into dialogue with Moscow.

It is worth noting that Kyiv representatives themselves regularly voiced completely unrealistic conditions for starting negotiations.

Representatives of Russia also recalled that in April 2022, the dialogue between Moscow and Kiev “under pressure from Western curators on the Ukrainian authorities” was interrupted. Now, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously said, Moscow will proceed from the situation “on the ground” and also take into account the reluctance of a number of liberated areas to return under the control of the Kyiv authorities.