Russia ready to negotiate with Ukraine to end conflict

In an interview with CBS News, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent comments about Moscow's "unwillingness to engage in negotiations in good faith" regarding the current conflict with Ukraine.

Mr Lavrov said Russia was ready to discuss “any serious proposals” aimed at resolving the situation on the ground and the causes of the conflict. He added that Moscow was ready to work out an agreement that “guarantees the legitimate national interests of Russia and the Ukrainian people”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (Photo: Sputnik)

Mr Lavrov stressed that Russia is ready to listen to opinions on establishing “justice” in relations between Moscow and Kiev. However, he stressed that this would require the West to end its current policy towards Ukraine.

Russia's top diplomat said Moscow had long expressed concerns about NATO expansion. "Russia's goal is simple, we have been publicly warning since 2008 that NATO expansion goes against all commitments," he said.

At the 2008 summit in Bucharest, Romania, NATO leaders promised to admit Ukraine into the military alliance, a move that drew a backlash from Moscow, which viewed the alliance’s expansion toward its borders as an existential threat.

In December 2021, weeks before launching its military operation in Ukraine, Moscow presented a draft security guarantee to the US and NATO, demanding a commitment from the West not to allow Kiev to join the bloc. However, this agreement did not receive support from the West.

Officials from Moscow and Kiev said the two sides were close to a peace deal early in the conflict, with Russia demanding that Ukraine commit to neutrality and abandon its ambitions to join NATO. Negotiations then stalled and have not resumed, according to multiple reports.

Kong Anh (Source: russian.rt.com)

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