Foreign Minister Lavrov Says West And Kyiv Government Are Not Trying Peace In Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (Twitter/@mfa_russia)

JAKARTA - Western countries and the Kyiv government are not seeking peace in Ukraine, so peace efforts by any country, including Turkey, are unlikely, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Hurriyet newspaper.

"Currently, our opponents do not seem to want peace. Ukraine's reaction to President Vladimir Putin's peace initiative in June was an invasion of the Kursk Region by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, along with airstrikes against targets in other border areas," Foreign Minister Lavrov said commenting on Turkey's mediation prospects in the crisis., reported TASS 1 November.

"Washington and its allies continue to provide broad support to Kiev, discussing the possible use of Western long-range missiles for long-range attacks on Russian territory. Volodymyr Zelensky has not revoked its order to ban negotiations with Moscow. Given this situation, it seems unlikely that any country, including Turkey, will succeed in mediation efforts," he continued.

On the other hand, he regretted the cooperation between the Turkish and Ukrainian militaries, which raised suspicions about Ankara's efforts to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"Unfortunately, Ankara continues its military-technical cooperation with the Kyiv regime. Turkish weapons were used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to kill Russian soldiers and civilians, which is confusing given the statement of Turkey's leadership readiness to offer mediation services," he said.

At the same time, he noted Russia appreciates Turkey's mediation efforts.

"We appreciate Turkey's efforts to help resolve the Ukraine crisis. The Turkish government played an important role by offering Istanbul platforms for consultation with representatives from Kyiv in the spring of 2022 and facilitating the wheat deal. However, Istanbul's negotiations were ultimately undermined by Anglo-Saxon, which prevented Volodymyr Zelensky from reaching an agreement that could stop hostilities and ensure the balance of interests of all parties involved," said the top Russian diplomat.

"Russia is open to achieving a political settlement, but this should not only lead to a temporary ceasefire; this should lead to conflict resolution by eliminating the root cause. This includes NATO's eastward expansion, the creation of threats to Russia's important security interests, and the violation of the Kiev regime against the rights of Russian citizens and Ukrainians who speak Russian," he added.