Monitoring Desk
MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister (FM) Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow had yet to receive any serious proposals for a peace plan in Ukraine and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s proposals were absurd.
FM Lavrov said Moscow is ready to discuss the conflict with Western nations and respond to serious peace proposals. However, any talks are needed to address Russia’s broader security concerns, Lavrov said.
Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, the foreign minister called again for NATO to remove its “military infrastructure” from neighbouring Ukraine and other countries close to Russian borders.
Peace proposals absurd
“There can be no negotiations with Zelenskiy,” Mr Lavrov said. He described the Ukrainian President’s 10-point plan unveiled last November as consisting of “totally absurd initiatives.”
“As for the prospects for peace talks between Russia and the West on the Ukrainian conflict, we will be ready to positively respond to any serious proposals. However, we do not see any serious proposals so far. We will be ready to consider these proposals and decide,” Mr Lavrov said.
Sergei Lavrov said statements by leaders of Western countries that they would not discuss anything regarding Ukraine without Kyiv’s involvement were “all nonsense” because the Western nations were actually making the decisions.
