MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. The US is the only Western country willing to address the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a news conference to review the results of Russian diplomacy in 2025.
He also noted that, while the West has the right to talk among themselves "on the basis of their own rules," Moscow will conduct dialogue with its partners on the basis of equality and mutual respect.
TASS has compiled the top Russian diplomat’s key statements.
Russia on the international stage
It is the West's prerogative to speak among themselves "on the basis of their own rules," while Russia will conduct dialogue with its partners "on the basis of the principle of equality."
Russia is ready to work with anyone willing to "negotiate honestly, on an equal footing, without blackmail or pressure": "And this is well known to all."
Despite what Western detractors may say, Moscow’s "notorious isolation" has not been realized.
"Russia will consistently defend its interests without infringing on the legitimate rights of others, nor will it allow its own legitimate rights to be violated."
Ukrainian conflict settlement
Russia is ready to continue seeking a diplomatic settlement to the Ukrainian crisis and has always been open to doing so: "If you look at the history of this crisis, starting in 2014 and especially since 2022, you will see that Russia has shown a great deal of goodwill when it comes to concluding political agreements. However, each time, our Western neighbors, primarily European, did everything they could to block these agreements."
Ukraine is in a "very bad situation" both on the front lines and in political life.
In the West, only the US is ready to address the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict: "The only Western country that is ready to address the task of eliminating the root causes of this conflict, which was largely created by Donald Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, and his administration."
The US-proposed plan for a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis takes into account the elimination of the root causes of the conflict: "We support this approach and consider it fully justified."
Russia hopes that the understandings and agreements reached during the Alaska summit between Russia and the US "will remain fully in force."
Moscow cannot allow the West to rearm the Kiev regime so that it attacks Russia "as a tool of the insane Western Europeans."
The security guarantees Europe offers Ukraine are intended to preserve the Nazi regime in Kiev: "We must not forget this."
Russia does not accept proposals for a settlement in Ukraine that aim to preserve the Nazi regime in Kiev: "Proposals for a settlement that are based on the task of preserving the Nazi regime in that part of Ukraine that will be so-called are, of course, absolutely unacceptable."
The Russian side has not received any documents on the results of the meetings between the US, Europe, and Ukraine in recent weeks: "We have not received any recent documents on the results of the negotiations between the US, Ukraine, and Europe over the past couple of weeks."
West’s role in Ukraine conflict
The EU is again trying to come up with "some kind of coalition" against Russia, calling for the creation of a security system involving Ukraine.
Europe and the Kiev regime led by Vladimir Zelensky are "hysterically" trying to shift Washington's position, which was agreed upon with Moscow in Anchorage.
European leaders' goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia "remains in their plans and intentions."
West's anti-Russian policy
Against the backdrop of his anti-Russian statements, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz should be reminded of the consequences of the "arrogance of the German leadership" throughout history.
NATO is "seriously preparing" for war with Russia.
Many serious Western politicians now regret not paying attention to Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech at the 2007 Munich Security Conference: "They regret not listening, not hearing, and taking it as just another piece of rhetoric."
Statements by European leaders about the need for dialogue with Russia now sound insincere. If they are really interested in contacting Moscow, they "just need to call."
French President Emmanuel Macron has been rude and dismissive toward Russia, but Moscow is above such rhetoric: "Well, if you're going to be rude, then ignore Russia. We are, of course, above that and treat such statements not even with contempt, but with disdainful disregard."