Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Kremlin could be ready to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine as long as the West meets certain conditions.
Comments of Lavrov come more than eight months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the “special military operation” in Ukraine on February .
Although Moscow initially expected a quick victory, the invasion revealed weaknesses in its army that weakened the Kremlin’s gains. In addition, Ukraine received support from the West, reinforcing defense efforts and allowing its army to launch strong counter-offensives to retake the occupied territory.
As the fighting continues, negotiations between the two Eastern European nations have stalled. Ukraine, which has been surprisingly successful, has suggested that its army will continue to fight until Russia is completely expelled from its territory. Meanwhile, Russia has shown little interest in ending the war, despite facing mounting losses.
Lavrov, however, discussed the possibility of negotiations between Russia and the West during an interview at the Russian state television, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported on Saturday.
He said that Russia “is always ready to listen to our Western colleagues if they make another request to organize a conversation”.
The conditions that Russia asks for to end the war
He mentioned two conditions that the West would have to accept for the negotiations to succeed.
Lavrov said that the West would need to “take fully into account the interests of the Russian Federation and its security”. Russia, for years, has expressed concern about the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which the Kremlin sees as a threat to its security interests.
Putin would probably demand the Ukraine’s neutrality during the negotiations. Throughout the conflict, more Eastern European nations, including Finland, which shares a border with Russia, have made efforts to join NATO, strengthening the organization and dealing a blow to Russia’s sphere of influence. The United States has signaled its reluctance to allow Ukraine membership under current conditions.
Second, the West would have to “offer us some serious approaches that will help defuse tensions,” Lavrov said. He did not offer details on how exactly the West might do so, although Russia has previously accused adversaries of deepening tensions through their support for Ukraine and sanctions that have weakened Moscow’s economy.
“Yes realistic proposals based on the principles of equality and mutual respect of interests, aimed at finding compromises and a balance of interests of all the countries of this region, will not be the case, as it has always been in the past,” Lavrov said. .
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