Russia says it prioritizes negotiation over confrontation but talks with Zelenskyy 'senseless'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia consistently prioritizes negotiations over confrontation and military conflict, yet engaging in discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proves senseless for many reasons, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

If the West genuinely seeks dialogue, it must first abandon the so-called "Zelenskyy formula," "an ultimatum" demanding Russia's surrender, withdrawal to 1991 borders, leadership trial, reparations, and weapon placement restrictions within a 200 km frontline zone, Lavrov said in an interview with Russian radio stations.

"All other issues - food, energy, nuclear security, humanitarian aid, prisoner exchange, and missing persons - merely serve to adorn this ultimatum, aiming to rally support from the majority of world nations," Lavrov said.

Russia has not received an invitation from Geneva to a peace conference on Ukraine in June, and in any case Switzerland is unsuitable for negotiations due to its shift from neutrality to "overt hostility," which is evident in its alignment with Western sanctions and national security strategies targeting Russia, the diplomat stressed.

The decision to launch a "special military operation" in Ukraine was partly fueled by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's refusal to discuss NATO non-expansion and to limit rather than eliminate missile deployments in Ukraine, he said.

Many Western countries are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, with reports indicating French instructors and other European military personnel operating in Ukraine, he said.

- West fights 'against Russia' not 'for Ukraine'

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's remarks suggesting Russia's victory in the conflict would challenge Western dominance were interpreted by Lavrov as an admission of violating the UN Charter's article on sovereign state equality.

Similarly, the EU high representative's acknowledgment that Europe fights "against Russia" rather than "for Ukraine" is also a "confession" demanding international courts attention, according to Lavrov.

He stressed that Western anti-Russian efforts are not limited with bolstering Ukraine, and NATO embassies in Moscow hired local personnel "to support and lead anti-government movements."

The official called Western approach to sanctions "thoughtless," noting that restrictive measures are only effective if their objective is to alter its behavior to prompt their removal, which is not the case with Russia.

The diplomat underscored that the West does not understand that intimidation against Russia does not work and expressed confidence that the US will not achieve its goals in Ukraine the same way as it happened in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and other places.

"Even in Haiti, which the US has controlled for about 100 years, there is no success, instead the country was plunged into rampant banditry, some criminal came to power," he said.

The Russian diplomat regretted that Western politicians have trapped themselves with anti-Russian rhetoric, adding that European leaders continue to intimidate their voters with the myth of the "Russian threat" to prevent the opposition from winning the upcoming national and European Parliament elections.

Russia remains open to discussions on Eurasian security, provided Western counterparts adopt a respectful approach devoid of US dictates, he stressed.

In contrast to the US, China's approach to project proposals is constructive and balanced, offering collaborative initiatives such as the Belt and Road initiative, which enhances future security arrangements through economic cooperation and mutual benefit, he said.