MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a press briefing on Friday to answer media questions about the most pressing international issues, including the current situation in Ukraine.

This time, the minister’s briefing will be held in the format of a video conference.

The top Russian diplomat’s media stakeouts traditionally attract broad attention. Given how rapidly the international situation developed over the past few days, Lavrov’s remarks are expected to spark interest both in Russia and abroad. Although the failed mutiny of the Wagner private military company is no longer in the public spotlight in Russia, the issue is still being actively discussed abroad, and reporters are likely to have questions to Lavrov in that regard.

The Ukrainian crisis, which has already acquired a global dimension, is also expected to be actively discussed. As part of the West’s attempt to win support from more and more countries, an international Ukraine-themed meeting was held in Copenhagen on June 24. During the conference, in which Russia was not taking part, Kiev and the Group of Seven were trying to persuade nations of the Global South to support Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s peace formula. Moscow has repeatedly said that the Kiev government’s "ridiculous initiative" has no relation to reconciliation whatsoever and instead contains only a list of ultimatums to Russia.

Lavrov told Russia’s Channel One on June 28 that the West had "invited several Third World countries to an international meeting on Ukraine in Copenhagen and tried to brainwash them trying to secure their support for the 'Zelensky formula’."

"I heard that some unscrupulous techniques were employed there. In response to sober objections Zelensky's plan was unrealistic because it meant capitulation, there followed this kind of response: 'You do not have to support the whole plan. There are also points that do not concern the war. They address such issues as food, energy security and nuclear security. So don’t you worry, may the countries of Africa, Latin America and Asia select one point each.’ It's a very crafty approach; to persuade partners to pick out something that is not odious and constitutes a banal truth - such as the need to strengthen the food and energy security - and then say: ‘Just sign it here. Then we will do the rest ourselves," Lavrov said.

Russia has never refused to negotiate, he added: "Those who refuse to negotiate, including the West and Ukraine, should understand that the longer they keep delaying the peace process, the harder it will be to come to terms."

The minister reiterated that Moscow always stood to consider any proposals that are serious in nature, but the West has come with nothing of this kind yet. Therefore, it is possible that journalists will ask Lavrov questions about Moscow’s view on an acceptable and viable peace plan for Ukraine.

Commenting on the event, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said that the top Russian diplomat planned to raise a broad range of issues during the event. "The agenda is broad, it includes the situation in Ukraine, the humanitarian dimension of this issue, and, of course, the current international situation," she said.