Russian Foreign Minister: Our military operation in Ukraine can be stopped if we reach satisfactory results in the negotiations
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that his country’s military operation in Ukraine could be halted if satisfactory results for Russia are reached in the negotiations.
This came in a press conference held by Lavrov with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan after their meeting in Ankara.
Lavrov touched on the war between Russia and Ukraine, saying that he had not heard a statement from the US side indicating the possibility of accepting the Istanbul talks, back in March 2022, as a basis for a solution.
Lavrov said that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prevented Ukraine from signing the draft agreement at the Istanbul talks.
Regarding the dialogue that took place with the United States in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, last week, Lavrov said, “Divergent opinions emerged during the Riyadh talks, and we will continue our talks with our American partners”.
On February 12, President Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
In this context, the Saudi capital, Riyadh, hosted Russian-American talks last Tuesday that addressed relations between the two countries and ways to end the war in Ukraine.
“This week, comprehensive consultations will be held to start the activities of embassies with the United States, and I hope that we will not face artificial obstacles,” Lavrov added.
The Russian minister stressed the importance of dialogue and communication between Ankara and Moscow, saying, “Türkiye and Russia are in contact in all areas despite international tensions, and Presidents Erdogan and Putin are in constant contact”.
