All news

Kiev, West still not ready for diplomatic settlement of Ukraine conflict — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat also noted that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had signed a decree banning negotiations with Russia

SKOPJE, December 1. /TASS/. Moscow sees no sign that Kiev and Western counties are ready to settle the Ukraine conflict diplomatically, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"So far, we haven't seen any sign from Kiev or its sponsors of their willingness to look for some kind of a political solution," he pointed out at a press conference following an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) foreign ministers’ meeting.

Lavrov also noted that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had signed a decree banning negotiations with Russia. "And if you listen to what NATO and EU officials say, it all boils down to one thing: ‘we must support Ukraine because if Ukraine suffers a defeat, it will mean a defeat for the entire West,'" the top Russian diplomat added.

"Just like in the tango, it takes two to start the diplomatic process, but the guys on the other side aren’t doing the tango, they are break-dancing, and that’s a solo performance," Lavrov said, describing the current situation.