According to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russia wants to resolve the Ukraine crisis and cease the war as quickly as feasible.
Moscow prioritises the safety of soldiers and civilians, according to Lavrov in an interview with a Russian news programme.
“We would prefer to resolve this situation as soon as possible in order to put a stop to the war that the West was planning and subsequently unleashed against us through Ukraine,” he said. “The lives of soldiers and civilians who remain in war zones are our first priority.”
Lavrov, on the other hand, stated that Moscow has no inclination to undertake negotiations with the West, especially because Western politicians “have declared that security in Europe should be constructed against Russia.”
Regarding the United States’ delivery of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, Lavrov stated that Moscow was informed through diplomatic channels that Washington does not plan to fight Russia directly.
“We asked the Americans… if the decision to deliver the Patriot system… meant that there will be American professionals there (in Ukraine),” he explained.
“We were told in detail that there are no such plans since the Americans do not want to fight directly against Russia. “They stated it will take many months to put the Patriot system into service, during which time Ukrainian personnel will be able to grasp the technology,” he added.
He stated that the major reason Washington insists on resuming Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty inspections is to “learn what awaits them in the event of direct combat with Russia.”
Lavrov described the US position as a “significant shift,” alleging that the Pentagon told Kyiv that it could not block strikes on areas internationally recognised as Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea.
According to Lavrov, then-US Secretary of State John Kerry told him in 2014 that Washington has no reservations about Crimea’s citizens’ decision to join Russia.