Russian Foreign Minister: Ukraine's peace formula is no different from an ultimatum

Ngoại trưởng Nga: Công thức hòa bình của Ukraine không khác tối hậu thư - 1 — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (Photo: Reuters).

"The United States and its allies are imposing the 'Zelensky peace formula' on the international community. They are trying to present this formula as the only solution. In fact, everyone understands that this option is nothing more than an ultimatum to Russia and is impossible," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting of BRICS representatives on January 31.

The Russian diplomat added that Washington is not interested in the fate of Ukrainians.

Mr. Lavrov said that so far, the aid from the US and its allies to Ukraine has exceeded 200 billion USD. However, Moscow has repeatedly warned that Western aid only prolongs and escalates the conflict, while not being able to change the situation on the battlefield.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted for nearly two years but shows no signs of abating. At the end of 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a 10-point proposal, also known as the "peace formula", to resolve the conflict.

Mr Zelensky's "peace formula" calls for Russia to withdraw all troops and restore Ukraine's 1991 borders. However, Moscow says Kiev's proposal is unrealistic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has said Moscow is always ready to negotiate an end to the conflict with Kiev, but Ukraine must first revoke the decree banning talks with Russia and accept "new territorial realities." Russia currently controls about 17 percent of Ukraine's territory.

On the other hand, Russia said that there are currently no signs of Ukraine's willingness to negotiate. Therefore, Russia will continue its military campaign until all its goals are achieved.

In another development, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said on January 31 that 2024 is strategically important for Ukraine and will bring important advances for Kiev on the battlefield.

“Ukraine is going to have some very strong successes this year that will surprise Russia,” Nuland said.

She believes that the US Congress will eventually approve additional aid to Ukraine because it is vital to Kiev's survival.

The US Congress is considering the White House's proposal for a budget package of more than 100 billion USD, of which about 61 billion USD is allocated for aid to Ukraine.

So far, the US Congress has not been able to pass this proposal due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans on limiting the wave of illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border. Republican lawmakers have announced that they will only support the White House's budget proposal if the Joe Biden administration commits to border security solutions.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that if Congress continues to hesitate, Russia will win in Ukraine and that scenario will have consequences not only for Ukraine but also for the collective security of the US and its allies.

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