International-News

Lavrov: ‘Russia ready to negotiate on Ukraine, but only with satisfactory result’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov opens up for negotiations, but reiterates that military actions will only stop if negotiations bring a favourable outcome for Russia. Meanwhile, the conflict continues with a Ukrainian attack on a Russian refinery

Russia is willing to negotiate over the conflict in Ukraine, but will only stop its military actions if the outcome of the talks is satisfactory to Moscow. This was stated by Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, during a press conference at the end of talks with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan. ‘We are ready to negotiate with Ukraine, Europe or any representative wishing to contribute to peace, but our military operations will cease only when these negotiations lead to a stable outcome that satisfies the Russian Federation,’ Lavrov said. The statement comes on the day marking the third anniversary of the start of the conflict between the two countries.

In response to European pressure, Lavrov criticised the approach of European nations, accusing them of continuing with the policy of sanctions and insisting on the continuation of the war. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, said that this stance runs counter to Russia’s desire to resolve the conflict, which is what the US is trying to do.

In the context of the negotiations, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasised the importance of a results-oriented US initiative, hoping that both countries involved in the conflict could stay around the table to find a solution. ‘We believe that a solution can be reached through dialogue involving all parties,’ Fidan said during a press conference with Lavrov in Ankara.

On the fighting front, Ukrainian drones caused a fire at a Russian oil refinery last night. According to Russian media, the attacks hit several Russian energy facilities in response to Moscow’s missile attacks that had crippled the Ukrainian energy network. The governor of the Ryazan region, Pavel Malkov, confirmed the fire, attributing it to falling debris after the drones were shot down. The Russian Ministry of Defence said it had shot down 22 drones, two of them in the Ryazan region, while local sources confirmed that the fire hit a refinery owned by Rosneft, which had already been damaged in previous attacks.

The conflict continues with no obvious signs of de-escalation, with both sides intensifying military operations and diplomatic talks.

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