Lavrov ties Ukraine peace talks to respect for Russians and Russian speakers’ rights
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said ceasefire agreements in Ukraine will not be reached unless Ukrainian authorities “fully respect” the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people.
He outlined the conditions in an interview with state-run Rossiya 24, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. He added that a lasting peace won’t be possible unless the “causes” of the war are removed.
“Without respect for Russia’s security, without full respect for the rights of Russian and Russian-speaking citizens living in Ukraine, there can be no talk of long-term agreements, because these causes must urgently be eliminated in the context of a settlement,” Lavrov said.
At the same time, the Russian foreign minister said Russia “never aimed to seize territory.”
“Our goal was to protect people, Russian people, who for centuries lived on these lands, who opened up these lands, shed blood for them in Crimea and Donbas, and built cities - Odesa, Mykolaiv, many others - ports, plants, factories,” Lavrov said.
He also said Russia is not rejecting any “formats of work on Ukraine,” including bilateral and trilateral formats.
Lavrov claimed the administration of US President Donald Trump showed “sincere interest” in preventing a repeat of the “crisis” during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian delegation in Alaska on August 15, rather than preparing Ukraine for a new war. He said that understanding was reinforced during Trump’s call with Putin in the early hours of August 19.
On the evening of August 18, talks were held at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and European leaders. Zelensky called it the best meeting so far and said the United States is ready to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine.
After meeting Zelensky, Trump spoke by phone with Putin and announced a trilateral summit, though the date and location have not yet been set.