Russia is prepared to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, but it is important to agree on broader security issues to bring an end to the ongoing conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday during his annual press briefing.
Lavrov said that eliminating threats on Russia's western borders would be essential, as this has been one of the root causes of the ongoing conflict. He noted that these threats can only be removed within the framework of broader agreements.
He believes that Ukraine is being used to weaken Russia's position in the European security system. The main goal of the United States and other Western countries is to weaken Russia geopolitically, create a direct military threat to Russia on its borders and territories, and then weaken Russia's strategic potential, the foreign minister said.
Speaking of the recent attack on the TurkStream pipeline, a natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Türkiye, Lavrov accused the United States of conniving at terrorist measures to undermine European energy security and encouraging Ukraine to sabotage the TurkStream pipeline after the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline.
The Russian foreign minister said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was the first Western politician to admit that NATO had violated its pledge not to expand eastward. But until he takes office, Trump's statements on such issues as the Russia-Ukraine conflict have no real meaning, he said.
Lavrov noted that after Trump takes office, Moscow will study his official position on Ukraine.
He said Moscow welcomes the fact that the incoming U.S. administration has focused more on the realities on the ground in Ukraine within the context of a potential resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.
Lavrov reiterated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet Trump, but that there have currently been no proposals from the United States.
Russia open to dialogue on security guarantees for Ukraine: FM
