All news

Russia not interested in Ukrainian statements on peace conferences — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister pointed out that Moscow's position was "extremely clearly stated by the Russian president at the Foreign Ministry on June 14"

VIENTIANE /Laos/, October 11. /TASS/. The Russian side is not interested in Kiev’s information about possible settlement conferences, Moscow's position has already been clearly voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following his participation in the 19th East Asia Summit.

"I do not follow the information regularly expressed by Ukrainian representatives at various levels. We are not interested in it," the top diplomat said, commenting on Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar's statement that Kiev continues to work on organizing a second so-called peace summit before the end of this year.

Lavrov pointed out that Moscow's position was "extremely clearly stated by the Russian president at the Foreign Ministry on June 14." "This position is being consistently put into practice, and we will bring the matter to an end," the Russian foreign minister added.

The first conference on Ukraine was held on June 15-16 in the Swiss city of Burgenstock at the initiative of the Ukrainian side. Russia was not invited to take part in the event. Delegations of some states, including China, did not participate in the forum. None of the BRICS member states supported the final communique. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that the conference was a complete fiasco, saying that "such gatherings cannot serve as a basis for sustainable peace."

On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with the Foreign Ministry set out the country’s conditions for settling the situation in Ukraine. Among them are the withdrawal of the Ukrainian armed forces from Donbass and Novorossiya and Kiev's refusal to join NATO. In addition, Russia wants all Western sanctions against it lifted and demands that Ukraine commit to a non-aligned and nuclear-free status. Putin indicated that if Ukraine and the West refuse these conditions, they could change in the future. Kiev rejected the Russian peace plan. After the massive Ukrainian attack on the Kursk Region that began on August 6, the Russian leader said that negotiations with a government that attacks civilians are pointless.