«This is a pivotal moment»: Lavrov on the situation in Ukraine

The situation in Ukraine is dramatic, and its resolution largely depends on what the world order will look like, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an interview with RBC. His words were quoted by RIA Novosti.

“This is a pivotal moment, a dramatic moment in modern history, as it reflects in a broad sense the ‘battle’ for what the world order will be,” he said.

In response to a question about why the situation around Ukraine could not be resolved peacefully, the foreign minister noted that the West did not want a peaceful solution.

Commenting on the current phase of negotiations with Ukraine, Lavrov, based on assessments from Russian negotiators, stated that the talks are not easy, but there is hope for compromise.

At the same time, the Russian foreign minister emphasized that negotiators from Russia and Ukraine should be allowed to calmly discuss issues without unnecessarily escalating the situation.

“I would give the negotiators the opportunity to work in a calmer environment, without provoking yet another hysteria,” he stressed.

According to him, specific formulations have already been made that can be agreed upon with Ukraine. The foreign minister clarified that the current discussions revolve around Ukraine's neutral status in conjunction with Russia's security guarantees.

Ukrainian delegation member David Arakhamia announced yesterday that negotiations with the Russian side will continue. Later, an advisor to the head of Zelensky's office and a member of the Ukrainian delegation, Mikhail Podolyak, announced that the talks would resume on Wednesday, March 16.