Lavrov said that Russia is ready for talks with Ukraine

^{Photo: RIA Novosti}
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that Russia is ready for negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

"As President Putin has said many times, Russia is ready for negotiations, in which our legitimate interests must be ensured," Lavrov said.

According to the minister, the Ukrainian conflict has "deep-seated causes." Lavrov said that among them are the threat to Russia's security through NATO expansion and the political direction of the Ukrainian government aimed at "destroying everything Russian."

The Foreign Minister added that the path to ending the conflict can only be opened if the primary causes are completely eliminated.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was ready to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but did not consider him a legitimate president who could sign a final peace agreement. Shortly after, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would not refuse to hold talks with Zelensky, even if Putin considers the Ukrainian president “illegitimate.”

Zelensky, in turn, said that he was ready to hold direct talks with Putin to end the war. “If this is the only configuration for Ukrainians to achieve peace and not lose people, then of course we will go for it,” the Ukrainian president said. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”