Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Russia’s goal with the war is always that Ukraine will become Russian. Photo: Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AP / NTB
Of NTB | 19.04.2024 18:13:49
War and conflicts: It is only the westernmost part of Ukraine that is still unclear, Lavrov said in an interview with several broadcasters in Moscow on Friday.
Otherwise, there will only be “one Ukraine, which is through Russian, which will be part of Russia, which will speak Russian, and which will educate its children”, he said further and determined that there are no other alternatives.
He emphasized that Russia does not want to attack NATO countries, as he believes is alleged in the West.
– But if they want to push NATO’s borders all the way to our border, we of course know how to prevent that in Ukraine, he said further.
Lavrov, who has been foreign minister since 2004 and is an unconditional supporter of the war in Ukraine, also says that Russia is ready for negotiations with Ukraine, but only under certain conditions.
He made it clear that there will be no ceasefire during possible negotiations, that talking to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is no use, and that Ukraine must drop the peace proposal that Zelenskyi has put forward.
Zelensky’s peace proposal, which he presented in the fall of 2022, includes the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, Russian support for reconstruction and reparations, and the prosecution of Russian war criminals.
(© NTB)