Lavrov: Kyiv does not want peace

(Patria) - The regime of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is operating within war rhetoric, without the will for peace, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an exclusive interview for the TASS agency.

"We must establish the lack of any will for peace on the part of Zelensky's regime. His representatives think within the framework of war, resort to rather aggressive rhetoric. Any cessation of hostilities is out of the question (on their part). The ban of September 30, 2022, on conducting negotiations with the Russian leadership introduced by Zelensky remains in force. Draw your own conclusions," said Lavrov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that the Russian side has never refused any peace negotiations with Ukraine. In addition, the Russian leader noted that Ukraine "publicly announced the abandonment of the negotiation process" in the spring of 2022, TASS writes.

Lavrov previously said that the longer Kyiv postpones negotiations, the more difficult it will be to reach an agreement. According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the first step in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine should be the lifting of Zelensky's ban on dialogue with Moscow.