«Lavrov Approached Me and Asked»: Zelensky Talks About Meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recounted a conversation he had several years ago with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which he expressed a desire to return relations between Kyiv and Moscow to what they were “10 years ago.”

According to TASS, Zelensky noted that he met with Lavrov in the United States during the 2019 UN General Assembly. He stated that the Russian Foreign Minister approached him, introduced himself, and asked what Kyiv wanted from Moscow.

“I told him, ‘You know, I just want the truth, and if that can be between us..., then I would very much like you to free our territories, and our countries’ relations to return... 10 years ago,’” Zelensky said in an interview with foreign media on Thursday.

Zelensky also reminded that he had a large number of friends and business partners in Russia. It is worth noting that early on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a special military operation aimed at the demilitarization of Ukraine.

In a televised address, he stated that circumstances “require us to take decisive and immediate actions, as the people’s republics of Donbas have appealed to Russia for help.” According to the Russian leader, all responsibility for the ensuing bloodshed will rest on the conscience of the regime in Ukraine. He urged Ukrainian soldiers not to follow the criminal orders of the Ukrainian authorities, to lay down their arms, and go home.