Russia to cease hostilities only if it is satisfied with results of negotiations — FM Lavrov
Russia is ready for negotiations with both Ukraine and Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. However, the aggressor will end active hostilities only if the results of the negotiations satisfy Russia, as reported by the TASS propaganda agency.
At the same time, the politician noted that the guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO must be "ironclad."
The Kremlin previously said it expected two separate dialogues within the framework of the peace talks — a bilateral one with the United States and one involving Ukraine. At the same time, it believes it is "too early" to talk about the participation of the European Union or China.
On February 18, a meeting between the American and Russian delegations took place in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. Bloomberg wrote that the Saudi prince proposed inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to these negotiations, but representatives of the United States and Russia insisted on a bilateral meeting.
After the talks, Russian negotiators said they had gone “quite well” and that the Russian and US teams would “in due course” begin contacts on Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said the meeting “gave hope for a normal dialogue with the USA.”
The Ukrainian president criticized the talks, saying they had “the same spirit” as the Russian ultimatum at the start of a full-scale invasion. He also postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia until March.
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