MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Russia is ready for talks with Ukraine, but negotiating with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky would be "pointless for many reasons," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Sputnik, Govorit Moskva and Komsomolskaya Pravda radio stations.
The minister also said Moscow doesn’t plan to suspend military operations for any future talks. In other comments, he spoke about communicating with Israel and Iran amid another escalation in the Middle East and described Armenia and Russia as more than formal allies. TASS has put together some of the key statements by Lavrov.
Potential for talks with Kiev
"We signal readiness for negotiations not just to make an impression. This is indeed true, but talks with Zelensky are pointless for many reasons."
In the event of new negotiations, Moscow will not make any pause in the special military operation as "the process must go on."
Switzerland is not suitable as a venue for any such talks because "it has turned from a neutral country into an openly hostile one."
Scrapped Istanbul agreements
The agreements that were reached in Istanbul gave Ukraine "extremely serious" security guarantees, which did not apply to Crimea and Donbass.
The treaty stipulated that there would be no military bases or exercises involving third countries on Ukrainian territory without the consent of all the guarantor states, but at the last moment Kiev suggested changing the wording.
Relations with the West
The narrative of Western countries about the need to defeat Russia "doesn’t so much reflect a combative mood, as it reflects agony and hysteria." The West understands that the formation of a new multipolar world order is underway.
Russia is not closing the door to Europe in discussions of Eurasian security.
"But, of course, this is our common monastery, and one should behave decently, and not bring the wishes of the Americans into these future constructs."
European political leaders
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's words that a Russian victory in Ukraine would be the end of Western hegemony are a confession.
"The International Court of Justice, I think, should pay attention to this."
Poland, the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria "set the tone" in the European Union. That drives the European powerhouses to rise up to the same level.
"Take [French President Emmanuel] Macron with his nervous statements about the need to send French soldiers [to Ukraine]."
However, "the French, not only mercenaries, but also instructors, maybe under some kind of guise, but <...> along with representatives of some other military and special services from European countries are working there."
European leaders will "be finished as politicians" if they stop saying Russia is an enemy. That would make them an east target for the opposition.
Confronting NATO
What drives Western politicians to talk about Russian alleged plans to "attack NATO" is the hope to scare voters and be able to continuing their policies.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that it makes no sense for us to attack them."
"If they wanted to bring NATO's borders closer to our borders, we will certainly not allow this to happen in Ukraine."
Middle East
Russia communicated to Israel that Iran "cannot fail to respond to the flagrant violation of international law and the status of diplomatic representation, but it does not want escalation."
Allegations that Tehran wants nuclear weapons are a ploy to divert attention from events in the Gaza Strip.
Relations with Armenia
It is wrong to say that Armenians left Nagorno-Karabakh because Russian peacekeepers didn’t do their job.
Moscow still regards Yerevan as an ally.
"We are allies with Armenia after all. <...> Formally we are allies, but I think it is not just formal and that there are people there who understand the importance of Russia for Armenia's security and economic development."
Moldova and Transnistria
The West is aggressively working with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who is dragging the country into NATO "either directly or through reunification with Romania." The West wants to make Transnistria a hotbed of tension, but "there is no chance of that anyway."
Situation in Georgia
The law on foreign agents, which sparked a controversy in Georgia, is very lenient.
"In the US, in France, in Poland, in many other countries, the law comes with fines, with criminal prosecution if you receive money and do not tell about it and do something wrong with this money.".