Lavrov states that Ukraine settlement ‘long way off’

(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict remains distant, blaming continued Western escalation as the main obstacle. In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Wednesday, Lavrov emphasized that despite the ongoing military developments, the West, particularly the US, is determined to achieve a strategic defeat of Russia, which prolongs the conflict. He described the approval by the US, UK, and France for long-range strikes on Russian territory as an escalatory move and warned that Russia’s previous warnings about such actions would not go unanswered.

Lavrov further stated that President Putin had made it clear how Russia would respond, especially following the use of Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in an attack on a Ukrainian facility. He insisted that no escalation would cause Russia to abandon its military goals in Ukraine, but reiterated the preference for peaceful solutions. For a political settlement to occur, Lavrov argued, the root causes of the conflict, including NATO's expansion and the treatment of Russian speakers in Ukraine, must be addressed. Additionally, he stressed the importance of Ukraine’s demilitarization, denazification, and neutral status, along with the recognition of Russia’s territorial claims, particularly over Crimea and the regions annexed in 2022.

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