Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the Eastern Economic Forum that if Russia agreed to Western ideas about a temporary halt to the conflict in Ukraine, it would betray its ancestors, and Russians are not ready for this. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
According to Lavrov, there is also a non-material part to this issue. He said: "That is, if we allow the revival of this Nazism, this quasi-state, completely dependent on the West, but openly defending Nazi ideology, we would betray our ancestors who defeated Nazism in 1945." He added that "our people are not ready for this."
The minister noted that the West wants to preserve a threat on Russia's borders through a temporary halt to the conflict in Ukraine. "They do not want to settle it; they want to freeze the conflict while maintaining a threat at our borders," Lavrov said.
According to the diplomat, all principles recognized as Ukraine's independence have long fallen out of use. When Russia asked the United States about Ukraine's stance on Nazism, they only promised to return to this topic during negotiations, Lavrov said.
"When we talk to our Western partners, including Americans, we raise these topics. When we ask how you support those who engage in such purely racist, Nazi activities, they say they will include this issue on the agenda during negotiations. This is wrong," Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, "no one has ever sent signals from Washington to the Kiev regime on this issue."
The head of Russian diplomacy also commented on Ukraine's strikes on marketplaces and oil refineries. "The Kiev regime wants to harm the comfort of citizens' lives by striking marketplaces, oil refineries, and other infrastructure facilities," he said.
Lavrov also stated that the West turns a blind eye to Kiev's terrorist actions. "The terrorist actions of the Kiev regime are openly supported," Lavrov said.