Lavrov highlighted the so-called "proxy war" between Russia and the West, noting Moscow's repeated warnings to countries supplying weapons and military assistance to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Western nations continue to deny direct involvement in the conflict.
In an interview with the Russian daily newspaper Izvestia, Lavrov pointed to the events following the Western-backed coup in Kyiv in 2014, which led to what he described as "a war against the majority Russian-speaking peoples of the Donbas region by Ukrainian authorities."
He noted that the Minsk agreements, aimed at granting special status to the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts within Ukraine, temporarily halted hostilities. However, Lavrov noted that Ukrainian leaders did not retreat from imposing strict measures targeting Russian-descended Ukrainians, the Russian language and other aspects of Russian culture, all of which are contrary to Ukraine's constitution.
Despite Moscow's calls for condemnation of Ukraine's discriminatory policies, Lavrov lamented the lack of public condemnation from Western countries, suggesting a broader agenda against Russia. (Related: Russia says it is prepared to use nuclear weapons if threatened by the West.)
Lavrov suggested that Ukraine serves as a symbolic "tip of the iceberg" in the West's efforts to undermine Russia strategically. He criticized the West for allowing support for Nazism as part of this mission.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin echoed similar sentiments, stating that the conflict could have been avoided had the West considered Moscow's security interests. However, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) expansion toward Russia's borders disregarded these interests, according to Putin.
Pope Francis joins calls for peace in Ukraine
Early this month, the Kremlin acknowledged Pope Francis's call for negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine as "quite understandable," while NATO's secretary-general cautioned against discussing "surrender" at this time.
In a recorded interview from February, the head of the more than one billion members of the Catholic Church urged Ukraine to have "the courage of the white flag" and pursue negotiations to end the conflict as it enters its third year.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was understandable for the pope to advocate for negotiations. He emphasized that Putin had consistently expressed openness to peace talks. However, Peskov lamented that recent statements, including those from the pope and other parties, had faced firm rejection.
Peskov dismissed Western aspirations for a "strategic defeat" of Russia, asserting that developments on the battlefield contradict such notions.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg asserted that negotiations aimed at preserving Ukraine's sovereignty and independence would only materialize once Putin acknowledged that victory on the battlefield was unattainable.
Stoltenberg emphasized the need for military support to Ukraine to facilitate a negotiated solution.
Regarding Pope Francis' suggestion of a white flag, Stoltenberg cautioned against interpreting it as a call for Ukrainian surrender, warning of dire consequences for both Ukraine and the international community if Moscow perceived military aggression as a successful tactic.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Pope Francis's mediation efforts as "virtual" and emphasized the importance of support from religious figures within Ukraine.
Zelensky reiterated his stance against talks with Putin and affirmed that Russia would not be invited to an upcoming peace summit in Switzerland.
Watch this video discussing how Russia and NATO are inching ever closer to open conflict as Russian troops get stationed at the Finnish border.
This video is from the Diane Sosen channel on Brighteon.com.
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Russia destroys Ukrainian Patriot air defense missile launchers.
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