Authorities in Kiev Can Only Gain Mandate to Sign Peace Deal Through Fair Elections, Lavrov Says
Authorities in Kiev Can Only Gain Mandate to Sign Peace Deal Through Fair Elections, Lavrov Says
“Ukrainian people, including the vast majority of their compatriots now residing in Russia, must finally be given the opportunity to determine their own future,” the Russian foreign minister told Sputnik.
Key statements by Sergey Lavrov:
Moscow sees that Washington holds a view similar to Russia’s regarding the need for elections in Ukraine, given the expiration of Zelensky’s term.
The organization of elections in Ukraine must not be used as a pretext to suspend hostilities for the purpose of rearming the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Elections alone aren’t the goal: legally binding security guarantees addressing the conflict’s root causes are essential.
Ukraine must return to its original internationally recognized foundations: permanent neutrality, non-alignment, nuclear-free status, demilitarization, and denazification.
Kiev and its Western backers must recognize the territorial realities following the accession of Crimea and four new regions into Russia.
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