Russian foreign minister tells Putin he can see ‘a way forward’ for talks with west

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has told President Vladimir Putin that diplomatic engagement with the west over Russia’s security demands should continue and that he could see a way to move forward with talks.

“There’s always a chance,” Lavrov said in a televised meeting on Monday, when asked by Putin whether there was any likelihood that an agreement with the west could be reached in the negotiations between Moscow and western capitals aimed at defusing tensions on the border with Ukraine. Lavrov added that he could see a way to move forward with talks.

Western capitals have warned that Russia could launch a full-blown invasion, and many this week urged their citizens to leave Ukraine. Russia has denied it has any plans to invade.

Lavrov said that the US and Nato were not responding in a satisfactory way to Russia’s demands, but urged Putin to continue talks and said the US had put forward concrete proposals on reducing military risks.

He said Russia had prepared a 10-page letter outlining its reaction to the US and Nato response to Russia’s demands, first laid out in a letter in December.

Russia’s demands include a rollback of Nato’s eastward expansion and a ban on Ukraine joining the transatlantic alliance in future. It is making them with more than 100,000 troops amassed on Ukraine’s eastern flank and taking part in large-scale drills to its north in Belarus.

In a subsequent meeting, defense minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin on Russian military drills, saying some had finished while others were wrapping up.

Russia is holding joint military exercises in Belarus, and has held smaller drills on the border with Ukraine, raising fears that such actions were preparations for military action.

Source: Financial Times