At a round table organized at the embassy on the topic of resolving the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made several statements regarding the situation in the region, European politics, and peace negotiations. The event came in the context where discussions between Russia and the US aim to find a long-term settlement in Ukraine, after the initial peace plan of American President Donald Trump was repeatedly discussed with Kremlin officials.
Lavrov stated that negotiations with the US continue based on the agreements from Anchorage.
“We have transmitted to our American colleagues additional proposals, which concerned collective security guarantees. We understand that, when discussing security guarantees, we cannot limit ourselves only to Ukraine”.
Referring to Europe, the Russian minister accused European leaders of trying to obtain a major role in resolving the conflict.
“They try to convince everyone that they are not preparing for war, but for some kind of just peace in Ukraine. They claim a certain role in regulation. All these Europeans, who proudly declare — like Macron — that without them, without Europe, no one will decide anything”.
He added that Russia has no aggressive intentions against NATO members or the European Union.
“We do not develop, and the president has made this very clear, any aggressive plan against NATO members or the European Union. We are ready to record in writing, in a legal document, the corresponding guarantees, of course on a collective and reciprocal basis”.
The minister warned, however, that Russia is prepared for any military escalation.
“If Europe decides to go to war, we are prepared for it right now”.
He also criticized Western efforts to escalate the situation.
“The West, out of desperation, tries to escalate the situation and promotes the alleged military threat from Russia” and “we note a huge number of speculations and disinformation on the subject of Ukraine, intended to prolong the conflict”.
In the end, Lavrov stated that prolonging the conflict is a matter of political and physical survival for Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and accused the West of using the Ukraine issue to distract the international community from other global problems: “The West is trying to use the Ukraine issue to distract the international community from the Palestinian problem”.
On December 8, Volodymyr Zelensky met with Starmer, Macron, and Merz, where they discussed the American proposal. At the end of the meeting, the leader from Kiev again refused to make concessions regarding the territories. Today, Kiev has sent Washington the response to the latest American proposals regarding the resolution of the conflict.