Russia: Ready to resume Ukraine negotiations and will not allow NATO presence on the border
Moscow, Sept 15 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that his country is ready to resume negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis and to seek “consensual and reasonable” solutions, but it will not allow the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to be present on its borders. Speaking at a meeting with ambassadors on the situation in Ukraine, Lavrov said, “Russia wants to end the Ukrainian conflict and is ready to hold a new round of talks soon if Kyiv is prepared to resume them.”
Regarding communications with the United States, Lavrov said that Russia is explaining its position on Ukraine to the American side in detail, but he noted the “difficulty in determining the extent to which these clarifications will affect the practical steps taken by Washington.” In this regard, he also announced his intention to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
On energy and food supplies, Lavrov affirmed that Russia would honor all its commitments regarding the delivery of oil and grain to global markets, despite what he described as the seizure of ships by “European Union pirates.”
For her part, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “Ukraine, amid what it described as setbacks on the front, is taking increasingly reckless and violent steps,” accusing it of attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The statement added that Kyiv’s attacks on the nuclear facility threaten the security of all Europe, asserting that “Ukraine is escalating these attacks and will inevitably have to bear responsibility.”
Meanwhile, the Russian presidency (the Kremlin) warned that Moscow would deploy its full arsenal of forces and means if Poland were to enter into direct military confrontation with it, as tensions escalate between Moscow and Warsaw over the war in Ukraine and security developments along NATO’s eastern flank.
These Russian statements come amid rising tensions between Moscow and Warsaw, as Polish authorities recently announced the discovery of a drone suspected to be Russian near the Baltic Sea coast. Warsaw accuses Moscow of intensifying hybrid activities targeting the country’s security. (End) D.A.N./N.A.A.
