Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the West needs to 'take into account the interests' of Moscow to start talks to end the blood conflict.
In this image, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is seen during a United Nations meeting in New York City on September 24, 2022. Lavrov on Saturday outlined two conditions the West must meet for talks to end the Ukraine war to begin.Lavrov, however, discussed the possibility of negotiations between Russia and the West during an interview on Russian state television,
reported Saturday. He said Russia is"always ready to listen to our Western colleagues if they make another request to organize a conversation."Lavrov said the West would need to"fully take into account the interests of the Russian Federation and its security." Russia, for years, has raised concerns about the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , which the Kremlin views as a threat to its security interests.
Putin would likely demand Ukraine's neutrality during negotiations. Throughout the conflict, more Eastern European nations including Finland—which shares a border with Russia—have made efforts to join NATO, strengthening the organization and delivering a blow to Russia's sphere of influence. The U.S. has signaled reluctance to allow Ukraine's membership under current conditions.
Secondly, the West would have to"offer us some serious approaches that will help defuse tensions," Lavrov said. He did not offer specifics as to how exactly the West could do so, though Russia has previously accused adversaries' of deepening tensions through their support of Ukraine and sanctions that have weakened Moscow's economy.
"If we are approached with realistic proposals based on the principles of equality and mutual respect of interests, aimed at finding compromises and a balance of interests of all countries in this region, we will not be the case, as it has always been in the past," Lavrov said.