By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that his country will consider the West’s proposals to normalize relations if they also take Moscow's interests into account.
“When they come to their ‘senses,’ and if they come to their ‘senses’ and propose some specific things that will be based on respect for each other's interests, we will look and draw conclusions based on the content of such possible proposals,” Lavrov said at a press conference following the OSCE’s 31st Ministerial Council meeting in Valletta, Malta's capital.
Moscow will never return to conditions prior to the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, as previously mentioned by President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov said, adding that they will never “slam the door” on relations with anyone.
“But, we will see what ideas those who have now declared war against us through the Ukrainian regime, who have imposed a huge number of sanctions against us, who accuse us of all mortal sins, come to us with,” the top Russian diplomat said.
He accused the US of "attacking" Russia through Ukraine, claiming that the problem in relations between the two countries stems from Washington "not keeping their word."
“They promised not to promote NATO but did exactly the opposite. They signed documents at OSCE summits that no organization in this area would claim dominance. NATO has been doing exactly the opposite all these years. There are plenty of such examples, including concerning Ukraine,” he said.
He went on to say that remarks by European politicians about sending troops to Ukraine go against Putin’s previous warnings, arguing that these discussions, which he described as “fantasies,” only worsen the situation.
- ‘Point of no return’
Lavrov also commented on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks the day before concerning Yerevan’s ties with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), saying no documents regarding the country's withdrawal from the alliance had been received.
During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Pashinyan argued that the current state of Armenia's relations with the CSTO makes Yerevan's return to active participation in the alliance "increasingly difficult, if not impossible" and that his country's ties with the CSTO have reached a "point of no return."
“No such document has been received,” Lavrov said in response to a question about the matter. “We are not imposing anything on anyone. We are convinced that it is in the interests of Armenia's security to use CSTO membership to the maximum.”
He went on to say that it will be Armenia's sovereign right to withdraw and that Russia and other CSTO members have not taken and will not take any actions that appear to be "closing the door" on Yerevan.