The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrovassured that his country is willing to negotiate the granting of security guarantees to Ukrainealthough the priority in future negotiations with USA It will be the creation of a new security architecture throughout the Eurasian continent.
“We are ready to address security guarantees for the country now called Ukraine,” Lavrov said at a press conference in which he summarized the milestones of Russian diplomacy in 2024 and the challenges for the coming year.
He assured that “part of that country,” and mentioned the annexed territories of Crimea, Donbass and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhyehave already made a decision, referring to the 2022 referendums.
Lavrov stressed that first of all we will have to “liquidate” threats for the security of the Russian Federation on the western flank, alluding to the NATO expansion.
At the same time, he stressed that Moscow’s place in the future European security system must be determined, once the Western powers have used Ukraine as an instrument “to weaken Russia”.
“But the Eurasian context will be dominant” in these negotiations, since the western part of the European continent cannot ignore “giants like China, India and Russia” and also to the countries of the Persian Gulf and South Asia, he highlighted.
And also called on NATO to renounce the temptation to interfere in regional affairsas is the case of Asia-Pacific and, specifically, the Taiwan Strait and the Korean peninsula and the Caucasus, which are far from its traditional area of influence.
The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskydemands security guarantees from the United States and NATO before sitting at the negotiating table with Russia.
Russia sets the main condition for the settlement that kyiv definitively renounce its aspiration to join the Atlantic Alliance.
Lavrov, assured today that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement that Russia will sign on Friday with Iran It is not directed against any country, referring to the United States.
“This agreement, like the one we have with North Koreais not directed against any other country and has a constructive character“Lavrov said at a press conference.
He stressed that the document, which will be signed during the Iranian president’s first state visit to Russia, Masoud Pezeshkian“is aimed at strengthen the capabilities of Russia and Iran in various parts of the world.”
“And the ability to develop the economy and solve social problems, and ensure reliable defense potential“, accurate.
In recent days there has been speculation in Russia about the possibility of Moscow and Tehran signing a mutual assistance clause in case of aggressionlike the one signed last year by the Russians and North Koreans.
In response to that question, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskovonly assured that Russia attaches “great importance” to the negotiations between Pezeshkian and his Russian colleague, Vladimir Putinand that these will take place on Friday in the Kremlin.
Putin and Pezeshkian have met twice in recent months, the last one in October within the framework of the summit of BRICS in Kazan, which the Iranian leader said was directed against United States totalitarianism.
Last November, Tehran and Moscow connected their banking systems to boost their trade and financial transactionsin a step to confront economic sanctions from the United States and European countries.
(With information from EFE)
