Lavrov Reveals Moscow's Top Priority

Russia is interested in ensuring that the upcoming Russian-Ukrainian negotiations are effective. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Serbian media.

Lavrov indicated that during the negotiations, Moscow's top priority is to end the suffering of people in Donbas, who have been subjected to shelling for a long time. “The aim of the negotiations is to stop the killing of civilians in Donbas, which has been ongoing for 8 years and about which the advanced Western public has remained silent, not once making any critical comments… We must do what it takes for Ukraine to stop being a country that is constantly militarized and where strike weapons are attempted to be deployed that threaten the Russian Federation,” Lavrov said.

As for the meeting between the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky, Lavrov noted that this meeting would not be effective if its only purpose were to exchange views. He emphasized that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky would be necessary once clarity is achieved regarding the resolution of all key issues for Russia.