Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that in 2022 – a few weeks after Russia launched special operations in Ukraine – “the Ukrainians asked for negotiations, we agreed”.
“We held several rounds…and then we moved to Istanbul. In Istanbul, as I said, the Ukrainian delegation presented a document with principles to be developed into a treaty. We accepted this document,” Lavrov said.
He claimed former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at the time: “Don’t do it, keep fighting Russia until we beat them.”
“So when Starmer said that Putin is the only one against negotiations, you should remember his former prime minister Boris Johnson,” Lavrov said.
“He should remember those in Germany and France who signed the agreement and admitted a few years later that they never intended to do it despite,” Lavrov said.
“Russia recognizes Ukraine’s independence”
Lavrov said Russia recognizes “the independence of Ukraine” and “there is no doubt about that.” He also emphasized that Kiev sees the people who now live in the new Russian territories as “second class”.
“But we could never think that the people who live in this territory should be told that now in our constitution they will be considered second class, especially after the coup 11 years ago in February 2014,” Sergey Lavrov said in an interview.
He recalled that Victoria Nuland admitted in hearings and in Congress that the United States had spent about 5 billion dollars to support Ukraine until then, “and she said that it was not in vain, because in the end democracy will win.”
