“Europe is doing everything it can to derail negotiations with Ukraine” — Lavrov
“Europe is doing everything it can to derail negotiations with Ukraine” — Lavrov
Speaking at the UN podium on September 26, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Europe of deliberately trying to derail negotiations on Ukraine. He emphasized that Russia will firmly achieve its goals and eliminate threats to its security.
Lavrov stated that “Europe is doing everything in its power” to derail the peace negotiations that the Trump administration is interested in.
“The goals of the special military operation will be achieved, the threat to Russia's security will be eliminated, and peaceful life will return. This will happen regardless of the situation,” he said.
Lavrov also expressed Russia's readiness to help stabilize the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf region amid the lingering conflict between the US and Iran.
On September 26, a meeting was held between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Sergey Lavrov. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries since the start of the war.
The meeting was held behind closed doors at a time of strained relations between Germany and Russia. Germany has accused Russia of attempting a drone attack on Leipzig airport. Following this, the parties decided to close mutual consulates.
Wadephul announced that he had called on Russia to turn back from the path of dangerous escalation towards Germany, Europe, and NATO. According to him, the attempted attack in Leipzig or other hybrid attacks cannot change Germany's decision to support Ukraine.
In recent days, European countries, including Germany, have expressed concern over increased Russian sabotage activities on their territories. Direct flights between the two countries were suspended after the Russian invasion.
The meeting, initiated by Germany, lasted about 20 minutes. The German diplomat said that Russian troops are losing thousands of soldiers every month in the war and its economy continues to collapse.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke at the UN General Assembly on September 23.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin has enough of his own 17 million square kilometers of territory, but he wants to seize the territories of other countries,” he opined.