Return to “on the ground”
Sergey Lavrov said that Kiev refused to negotiate with Russia. According to him, Ukraine insists on returning to the state of affairs “on the ground” from February 24 this year. The minister also described Kiev’s aspirations as sometimes contradictory “fantasies”.
“Ukraine does not want to negotiate, it refused to do so. “We have every reason to believe that in this way the Anglo-Saxon leadership is doing its will,” Lavrov said.
He noted that Russia is ready to work on the proposals made by the Ukrainian authorities during the negotiations, but the draft agreement, written on the basis of them, “has been on the Ukrainian side for almost a month and a half inactive.”
Sergei Lavrov added that diplomatic relations with Western countries, including hostile ones, are maintained. But at the same time Moscow “does not want to impose itself on anyone”.
“I have stressed repeatedly that the main geopolitical conclusion we draw from this situation is that it is no longer possible to negotiate anything with Europe and be sure that Europe will deliver on it. Of course, we will weigh and evaluate what they offer us. “If this does not conflict with our interests, we will be ready to continue our contacts,” he said.
“Unthinkable” situation
Lavrov described the situation regarding his failed visit to Serbia as unthinkable, as Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia closed their airspace to the Russian Foreign Minister’s plane. The minister also believes that by such a move the neighbors violate Belgrade’s right to an independent foreign policy.
“Of course, the unthinkable has happened, and I understand your interest in our assessment of these heinous acts. There was a deprivation of the sovereign state’s right to implement foreign policy. Serbia’s international activities in the direction of Russia were blocked,” he said.
Lavrov said that since the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister was “perceived almost as a threat on a global scale in the West,” things seem to have been “very bad” there.
“As for the answers, you know, we will never do anything that makes communication between peoples more difficult. That’s what our Western partners are doing,” he said.
He added that Moscow has not yet received an official statement from countries that have banned the flight of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry. However, he hopes that “it will be a lot” soon.
“Countries that refuse to overfly the Russian plane will say that they were ordered by the EU and NATO. Those, too, will say that these countries themselves made an independent decision, ”explained Lavrov.
During his visit to Serbia, the minister added that he felt sorry for the countries that “sing along with great uncles” despite being “friendly peoples” for Russia.
The Russian Foreign Minister also denied media reports that he was one of the most unwelcome guests in Serbia, and therefore German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who will also visit the Balkans, “decided to move forward”. days.
Lavrov said that Russia has invited Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovich to visit Moscow in the near future.
“We invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Selakovich, to visit Russia very soon. I hope that the plane on which he will fly, normally or privately, is from Brussels and that his customers do not suffer another shameful punishment, which has lost all their decency, ”said the diplomat.
food and weapons
Lavrov said Russian experts will travel to Turkey on Monday, when talks on Ukrainian grain are scheduled. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes that Moscow and Ankara can develop mechanisms to remove obstacles to grain exports from Ukraine.
“Experts are going to Turkey today. The delegation is going there tomorrow. I hope not only do we put an end to this, this will still need to be done by our leaders, but we will be able to elaborate on the options the president has mentioned and which depend only on them. Who should work with Ukraine, who should hold Ukraine responsible for the cleaning of its ports, and who are responsible for removing all obstacles to the delivery, insurance and maintenance of ships that will deliver grain and other food products to Ukrainian ports. To Europe and from there to the ports of developing countries.”
He also stressed that the longer it takes the West to supply Ukraine with missile systems, the further Moscow will push the Nazis away from areas where the threat to “the Russian population in Ukraine and the Russian Federation” comes from. Lavrov added that he did not believe the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who assured him that Kiev would not attack Russian territory.