United Nations - Lawrow criticizes plans for new Ukraine peace conference
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply criticized Western plans for another peace conference on Ukraine. there are points that are unacceptable for our country, Lavrov said at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN Security Council session in New York. "There was a course to press the so-called Zelenskyy plan at any cost."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had made the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine a condition for peace. However, Lavrov once again insisted on the demand for Moscow to seize more Ukrainian territories.
"There are still not all territories liberated there (in the east and southeast of Ukraine). We cannot leave the people who have voted for a return to Russia under the regime that is eliminating everything Russian", Lavrov said. The claim to protect the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine was used by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin over two years ago as a pretext for the start of his aggression against the neighboring country.
Moscow initially claimed the two already partially Russian-controlled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, and in the fall of 2022, the Kremlin annexed the territories of Kherson and Zaporizhia. A referendum in the Russian-controlled part of the territories served as justification for the claims. The international community did not recognize the voting under the supervision of Russian military.
In New York, Lavrov also briefly addressed the detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich. Russia has indisputable evidence of the journalist's spying activities, Lavrov said. The exchange is currently being discussed between the security services in Washington and Moscow. Gershkovich and the "Wall Street Journal," for which the 32-year-old worked as a correspondent in Russia, have rejected the espionage charges. Putin had hinted in the past that he wanted to exchange Gershkovich for a Russian state prisoner serving a sentence for a contract killing in Germany.
- Volodymyr Zelensky's peace plan, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, remains a contentious issue at the upcoming Peace Conference in New York.
- In response to this, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed opposition, citing unacceptable points in the Western plan during a press conference in Moscow.
- Lavrov reiterated Moscow's demand to annex more Ukrainian territories, arguing that the Russian-speaking population in these areas needs protection.
- The UN Security Council session in New York served as a platform for Lavrov to discuss the detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is accused of spying by Russia.
- The situation surrounding Gershkovich, who works as a correspondent for the "Wall Street Journal", is currently under discussion between the security services in Washington and Moscow.
- Meanwhile, tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate, with ongoing conflicts in regions such as Donetsk and Luhansk, and more recently, Kherson and Zaporizhia.
