MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Russia remains ready to respond to any serious proposals from the West to resolve the Ukraine crisis, but there are none, and negotiations with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky are out of the question, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday at a press conference on the results of Russia’s diplomatic activities in 2022.
The top diplomat believes that "one day this war will be over" and that Russia will defend "its truth," but relations with the West cannot go back to the way they were. He also recalled Moscow’s reliable partners, with whom cooperation is developing despite pressure from Western countries.
TASS summarized Lavrov’s key statements at the press conference.
Relations with the West
The United States and its satellites have been preparing for years to unleash "a global hybrid war against Russia" and now they are lying when they, "foaming at the mouth, argue that they are not at war with Russia." The amount of support for Ukraine clearly shows that "the West has a lot to lose in its war against Russia," as their aim is to "resolve ‘the Russia issue’ for good."
"One day this war will come to an end. We will defend our truth however we can. But I cannot imagine how we’ll live our lives as everything will depend on the conclusions drawn by Europe," Lavrov said.
Russia has already drawn its own conclusions. "Things will never be the same again. <…> We warned long ago saying, well, guys, there will never be a situation when you lie to us by signing documents, and then refusing to implement" them.
Talks with Ukraine
Zelensky puts forward "completely absurd initiatives," and talks with him are out of the question, as he has legally banned negotiations with Moscow.
"That said, the West’s allegations that ‘they are ready and you are not’ are evil chicanery," Lavrov said.
Russia is poised to respond to any serious proposals from the West, but there are none. The claims that the negotiations should not be held without Ukraine are "nonsense" as the Western countries decide for Kiev.
In sporadic rare interaction with Russia, Western representatives say nothing that would go beyond the framework of their public statements, "so it is meaningless to talk with the West only on Ukraine."
Military operation
Russia cannot abandon "the basic goals of the special military operation," as they weren’t just picked out of thin air, but are determined by "the fundamental, legitimate security interests" of Russia.
There must be no military infrastructure in Ukraine that could pose an immediate threat to Russia.
"There should be no discrimination and persecution against our compatriots who by virtue of fate are Ukrainian citizens but want to preserve their language, culture and traditions and raise their children in full accordance with these traditions," Lavrov noted.
Global crisis
The West pins the blame on Moscow for being "responsible for all the problems of the global economy," but the statistics of international institutions "convincingly show that the crisis had been brewing long before the start of the military operation."
Western countries are trying to prevent the formation of new centers of economic growth, as their neo-colonial methods "are designed only to rob the rest of the world in a new way."
The United States seeks to weaken the economy of Europe where "public statements about discrimination are starting to break through."
"Europe has lost its independence," he said.
Relations with China
The information about the West’s attempts to drive a wedge between Russian-Chinese relations is not a secret, as "it is openly accessible," but this relationship is "certainly at a high water mark in its history," Lavrov emphasized.
The United States’ efforts to contain both Russia and China are insufficient, so it needs "to rally all of its Western allies."
"This is yet further evidence that they have come to realize that they are running out of strength to counteract the objective historical trend toward global multipolarity, which is already in full swing," he said.
Beijing is well aware of "Western doctrinal provisions that now it is Russia, and then China, that this is not a joke."
"China understands that staying in the Western system, completely depending on the West carries with it very serious risks," he said.
Friendly countries
Russia has partner states with whom relations are developing.
"We will be building such forms of interaction with our reliable partners and friendly countries that will benefit us and that those who seek to subordinate the entire world won’t be able to influence," the Russian foreign minister stressed.
None of the Arab nations joined the anti-Russian sanctions despite "unprecedented and severe pressure from the West."
Among those nations that have not imposed sanctions on Russia is Georgia.
"The fact that a small nation and its government have the courage to say that they will be guided by their own interests and the interests of their economy calls for respect," he said, adding that Tbilisi’s contact with Moscow "is rapidly growing," as there is hope that direct flights will soon resume between the two countries.
Nagorno-Karabakh
Russia remains ready to deploy a CSTO mission to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, but Yerevan prefers to hold talks with Brussels about a European Union mission, which "may simply be counterproductive" without coordination with Baku.
"Instead of building confidence along the border, it may create additional irritants," Lavrov said.
Russian defense officials are looking into Azerbaijan’s claims that in breach of the agreements, Armenia was transporting mines through the Lachin corridor.
Moscow suggests Russian peacekeepers should examine cargo transported along the route. "I think this issue will be settled shortly," the Russian foreign minister said.
Exit from Criminal Law Convention on Corruption
Russia decided to withdraw from the Council of Europe anti-corruption convention, but that does not mean that Moscow "has stopped its fight against corruption."
"This means that we don’t want to just sit in the back of the relevant body and listen to the West’s lectures," Russia’s top diplomat stressed.
Shaping new world order
"The process of shaping a multipolar world order will be long and it will take a certain historic era. And we are in the midst of this process," Lavrov said.
Lavrov explained that time is needed to "thoroughly document those relations" that are necessary for "democracy and justice to rule in the world," and for the UN Charter on respecting the sovereign equality of all countries to be observed.
"The UN Charter is a very good foundation. When it was approved, it was indeed a revolutionary document. Yet, unfortunately, all these sound principles were perverted by the West," the Russian foreign minister said.