MOSCOW (AP) — Russia will achieve its goals in Ukraine despite a Western-led “hybrid war” against Moscow, Russia’s top diplomat said Wednesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the goals of Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine are “determined by the fundamental legitimate interests of Russia” and will be achieved.
“There must be no military infrastructure in Ukraine that poses a direct threat to our country,” Lavrov said, adding that Moscow also intended to ensure the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine were protected.
Russian President Vladimir Putin explained his decision to send troops to Ukraine on February 24 by the need to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine, to prevent the neighboring country from joining NATO and to protect the Russian speakers living there. Ukraine and its Western allies have dismissed these arguments as cover for an unprovoked act of aggression.
Speaking at a marathon annual press conference, Lavrov rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s demands for a full Russian withdrawal from Ukraine. The minister also dismissed Ukraine’s insistence on paying war damages and prosecuting war criminals as a platform for future talks, saying “there can be no talks with Zelenskyy.”
Lavrov alleged that “the West makes all the decisions for Ukraine” in an effort to use the conflict to wear down Russia. NATO members have provided Ukraine with substantial military assistance.
“The amount of Western support clearly shows that the West has invested heavily in its war against Russia,” he added. “It’s the West that makes the decisions. And he made decisions for Ukraine and without Ukraine.
Lavrov claimed that Russia’s action in Ukraine was “our response to a Hybrid War unleashed against us” by the West.
He said Russia was ready to “seriously consider” any Western initiative to end the conflict, but added: “We haven’t seen any serious proposals yet.”
Any future talks between Russia and Western representatives should not be limited to Ukraine, Lavrov said.
“It makes no sense to talk to the West only about Ukraine,” he said. “The West is using Ukraine to destroy the long-standing security system in the Euro-Atlantic area that was based on consensus, the indivisibility of security, and the resolution of all issues through dialogue and cooperation. “
Lavrov warned that Russia’s confrontation with the West over Ukraine was part of global policy shifts that will evolve over a long period of time.
“The process of forming a multipolar world order will be long; it will take an epoch,” he said. “And we’re in the middle of that process now.”
He cited Western efforts to hamper broader cooperation between Russia and China, saying they would not succeed.
Lavrov said Russia’s relationship with the West “will never be the same again.” He accused the West of not respecting the agreements signed with Russia.
“Never again will there be a situation where you lie, sign documents and then refuse to fill them out,” he said.
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