"Diplomatic solution" to Ukraine war involves Russia keeping occupied territories, says Foreign Minister Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russia is supposedly ready for a peaceful political settlement that would end its war against Ukraine, but only if the territory it has already occupied would be taken into account.

Source: RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet, with reference to Lavrov's statement in the Russian State Duma on 14 February

Quote from Lavrov: "We remain open to a political and diplomatic settlement based on the consideration of our legitimate interests and the realities that have developed over many years and which have now led to the current situation."

Details: At the same time, Lavrov noted that since "Western countries" do not want to take into account Moscow's interests and the realities on the ground, there are "no options for an agreement yet".

Quote from Lavrov: "However, in the absence of serious offerings from those who declared war on us and [given] their unwillingness to take into account either our interests or the reality on [the ground] in [occupied] territories, it will not be possible to come to the negotiating table for the time being. We don't see any such option."

Details: He also said that "Washington and its allies do not give up their dreams of inflicting a strategic defeat on us."

At the same time, Lavrov claimed that the Russian army was supposedly "successfully operating" in the "Ukrainian theatre of military operations", and that "the West is no longer talking about its victory, but about how to prevent Putin from winning".

Lavrov also reiterated that the security of Russia and the Ukrainian territories occupied by the invaders would supposedly be "reliably ensured, and the goals of the special operation (as the Russians call the war against Ukraine – ed.) in this context will be achieved."

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