Russia says ready for 'honest' peace agreement with Ukraine

MOSCOW

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow is ready for an "honest" peace agreement with Ukraine that would take into account Moscow's security interests.

Speaking at a meeting with ambassadors of foreign countries in Moscow, Lavrov put forward another condition for the peace treaty - Kyiv has to recognize Russia's territorial gains over Ukraine's territory.

The minister called an "ultimatum" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 10-point peace plan, pushing Russia to surrender and return to the 1991 borders.

Meanwhile, the West is actively involved in promoting Zelenskyy's initiative, and the goal is to gather 140 countries at the upcoming meeting on Ukraine in Geneva where Russia is not invited, he said.

According to him, the West is employing deceitful tactics to make countries back Zelenskyy's plan.

Lavrov said Russia has no plans to hinder other states’ participation in the event in Switzerland, adding: "We told our colleagues (ambassadors) everything. We will not hinder the participation of other countries in the summit, as the West tries to prevent participation in the events that we organize. We don't have such habits."

The minister noted that Russia and Ukraine had a real chance of peace at the talks in Istanbul in March 2022, but British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and American officials disrupted it.

Since then, the situation has changed, and new "territorial realities" formed, the minister said, adding: "We are of course ready for an honest agreement based on Russia's security interests first of all, based on new realities. Of course, it will also take into account the security interests of other countries, including Ukraine."