Russian FM Lavrov says discussion underway on draft of possible treaty with Ukraine

Amidst the ongoing war with Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday informed that the delegations of both nations are debating the draft of a possible treaty via videoconferencing on a daily basis. In an interview with Xinhua, Sergey Lavrov hoped that the document should include Ukraine's permanent neutrality, non-nuclear, non-bloc, demilitarised status as well as security guarantees. He further stated that denazification, acknowledgement of new geopolitical realities, the relaxation of embargoes, the status of the Russian language, and other topics are also on the agenda for the talks. 

The Russian minister outlined that the resolution of the Ukrainian situation will enable a significant contribution to the de-escalation of military-political tensions in Europe. For this, one of the ideas being considered is the establishment of a guarantor state institution which would include the permanent members of the UN Security Council including Russia and China, he said.

"We share information about the progress of the negotiations with Chinese diplomats. We are grateful to Beijing, as well as to other BRICS partners, for their balanced position on the Ukrainian issue," Lavrov remarked. 

Russia is interested in peaceful, free, neutral, prosperous & friendly Ukraine: Lavrov

Lavrov further claimed that Russia is interested in a "peaceful, free, neutral, prosperous and friendly Ukraine," adding that it will be possible to reach agreements only when Kyiv starts to be guided by the interests of the Ukrainian people, and not "advisers from afar." Lavrov also slammed the West for "arrogantly rejecting" the security guarantees proposals put forward by Russia in December last year. He went on to say that Ukraine has long been regarded as one of the levers used by the United States and NATO members to restrain Russia. "Over the years, they actively fueled anti-Russian sentiment there, forcing Kyiv to make an artificial, false choice: either with the West or with Moscow," Lavrov added.

US & its allies did not make any effort to stop intra-Ukrainian conflict: Russia

The Russian minister also accused the US and its allies of not taking any step to stop the intra-Ukrainian conflict over the past years. Lavrov stressed that instead of inciting Kyiv to a political settlement on the basis of the Minsk Agreement, they "pumped up" the Kyiv regime with weapons, as well as trained and armed the Ukrainian army. He further remarked that all the goals of the special military operation will surely be achieved despite the opposition of Russia's opponents. It is worth mentioning here that the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate unabated and entered its 66th day on Saturday, April 30. 

Image: AP