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Trump’s return to power unlikely to change US approach to Ukraine crisis — Lavrov

Washington will always seek to control everything that is happening within NATO’s orbit, especially on NATO territory, the Russian foreign minister said

© Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election will not change Washington’s approach to the Ukraine crisis as the US will not just abandon its strategic interests there, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Washington’s fundamental approach to Ukraine-related issues, as well as to those concerning Europe, will not change, because Washington will always seek to control everything that is happening within NATO’s orbit, especially on NATO territory," Lavrov said in an interview with journalist Marina Kim, excerpts of which were aired on Rossiya-1 television. "Besides, the lines between the European Union and NATO are becoming blurred both militarily and politically. How they will exert this control is anyone's guess, it’s not for me to speculate, but there are various options. But that they will want to keep these processes under their control is not in doubt," he added.

Trump said during his election campaign that if he returned to the White House, he would resolve the Ukraine conflict even before taking office. However, he declined to provide the details of his peace plan. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier set forth the conditions for resolving the situation in Ukraine, which included Ukraine withdrawing troops from Donbass and Novorossiya and abandoning plans to join NATO. Moscow also believes that all Western sanctions on Russia must be removed and Ukraine’s non-bloc and non-nuclear status must be guaranteed.

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