According to Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, not the “slightest interest” has been shown by the U.S and other western nations in ending the war in Ukraine.
He stated that the West “is not interested in any negotiations.”
Speaking at his annual briefing in Moscow, he said, “They have not wanted to listen to our concerns,” claiming that the West had instead been “leading towards the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.”
He added that this creates “additional strategic risks and perils.”
He asked whether US troops in Afghanistan had yielded any “positive effect,” suggesting that Ukraine could see a “similar fate” as Afghanistan, where US troops were pulled out of in 2021 after 20 years of war.
“All their reckless undertakings in the military field – did any of them yield any positive effect? Any establishment of democracy that it had been meant for?
“Ukraine is in for a similar fate. They rely on their masters, they are not aware their master only thinks of themselves.”
Sergei Lavrov
Also, Lavrov asserted that Ukraine will not decide on conditions to end the conflict as U.S is the one making decisions.
He claimed that “clearly and evidently it is Washington that is calling the shots” and that Ukraine would not be the ones to decide when to begin serious talks.
Lavrov added that anti-Russian “racism”, “nazi-ideology” and its “aspirations for NATO membership” would first have to be rejected by Ukraine.
Additionally, Lavrov blamed the U.S for creating a “hostile” context in which Russia de-ratified the New Start nuclear treaty.
Lavrov said, “They have proclaimed us openly an enemy but at the same time they want to have a look at our strategic nuclear stockpiles because they say it’s quite a different thing.”
“Under the slogan of reciprocity they want to ensure oversight over our nuclear arsenals to minimise risks for themselves and these risks are mounting as a result of the military pressure and compulsion exercised against our country.
“They talk every day more about a prospective collision of nuclear powers and every day there are fewer and fewer deterring factors, containing factors.”
Sergei Lavrov
Nonetheless, he added that the possibility for talks on “strategic stability” have not been cast aside though.
Lavrov Claims War Has Brought A “Certain Purification Of Society”
During the briefing, the Russian Foreign Minister answered questions from the media.
Responding to a question on whether the conflict could affect the result of the Russian presidential election in March, Lavrov said that Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has helped to “purge” the country of those who do not support the war.
He said that it had “brought about a certain purification of [Russian] society.”
“It helped us purge it of people who for one reason or another did not feel affinity with Russia, Russian history and Russian culture. Some of them have left the country – others have stayed and reconsidered. The overwhelming majority of our society have been united, have rallied around a common idea.”
Sergei Lavrov
Moreover, Lavrov remarked that the people of Russia and Belarus will do everything to protect their independence and sovereignty. This came in response responding to a journalist’s question on how the two countries would contain NATO aggression.
Making reference to the West’s “aggression” against Russia, Lavrov averred, “There had been some illusions that existed in the 1990s [that] the West is going to welcome us with open arms.”
“Now these illusions are gone. We can no longer trust the west. The West wants just one thing – to live at somebody else’s expense and be smarter than everyone else,” he stressed.
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