Moscow - Saba:
Discussions between Kiev and the West on the possibility of reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine are necessary for Kiev in order to get a break to build the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Foreign Minister.
"Judging by what we see and read, Kiev and the West have begun discussing the possibility of reaching some kind of ceasefire and truce in order to get a break, during which they can increase the military potential of the Ukrainian armed forces, and then resume efforts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia," Sputnik quoted Sergei Lavrov as saying. "Of course, this is a dead end. A path that leads nowhere."
Lavrov noted that Russian approaches to resolving the conflict over Ukraine were previously defined by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We are ready for negotiations, but they must aim to eliminate the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and take into account the real situation on the ground," he added.
Lavrov pointed out that Russian approaches to resolving the conflict over Ukraine were clearly defined by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 14, as well as during his year-end press conference on December 19.
"We are talking in particular about disarming Ukraine, ensuring its non-alignment and neutrality, and its freedom from nuclear weapons, and eliminating long-term threats to Russia's security coming from the West, including NATO expansion," Lavrov said.
Kiev must assume specific obligations to ensure the rights, freedoms and interests of Russian-speaking citizens, and of course recognize the territorial realities enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he added.
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