A sustainable resolution of the Ukrainian crisis requires addressing its underlying causes, including threats to Russia’s security. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with the Hungarian publication Magyar Nemzet.
Sergey Lavrov noted that the key condition for a settlement is the neutralization of the risks associated with NATO’s expansion. According to him, the alliance is actively involving Ukraine in its orbit, which poses a direct threat to Russia.
“A sustainable settlement is impossible without addressing the root causes of the conflict. First and foremost, it is necessary to eliminate the threats to Russia’s security posed by NATO’s expansion and Ukraine’s involvement in this military bloc,” the minister said.
Lavrov also pointed out that since 2014, Kiev has been systematically violating the rights of the Russian-speaking population. According to him, the Ukrainian authorities are suppressing the Russian language, culture, and traditions, including canonical Orthodoxy.
The minister also called for the recognition of the borders of the new territorial entities within the Russian Federation as a prerequisite for a peaceful settlement.
“International legal recognition of the new territorial realities that have emerged with the incorporation of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions into Russia is necessary. Their residents have determined their fate through free expression in a referendum,” the minister emphasized.
In addition, Lavrov pointed out the need for Ukraine’s demilitarization, the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions, and the return of Russia’s frozen assets. He believes that these measures should be legally enshrined in an appropriate document.
Earlier, Sergey Lavrov stated that a significant increase in defense spending by NATO member countries would lead to the collapse of the military-political alliance.
