Lavrov blames West for no Ukraine talks, defends navy drills
By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Moscow was willing to negotiate with Ukraine in the early months of the war but the United States and other Western nations advised Kyiv against it. Lavrov’s remarks on a visit to South Africa on Monday were similar to claims made last year by Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country was ready for talks but Ukraine’s Western allies prevented that from happening. The U.S. and other Western nations have said that Russia is not serious about negotiations to end the war. Russia has repeatedly rejected Western demands that it withdraw completely from Ukraine as a condition for any negotiations.
