In comments at UN, Lavrov rules out Western, Ukraine-backed peace proposals
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to New York for a meeting of the UN Security Council on Jan. 22, where he repeated false claims about Ukraine and said that peace proposals backed by Ukraine and its Western allies were not possible.
Ukraine's peace formula includes the restoration of the country's territorial integrity, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and holding those responsible for war crimes accountable. The 10-point peace plan has received broad support among Ukraine's Western allies.
Lavrov said that Russia is always ready to negotiate peace, but he emphasized that Ukraine's peace formula or other proposals suggested by the West would not be a possible starting point for talks.
Few believe that Russia is truly interested in good-faith peace negotiations, having consistently violated previous agreements signed with Ukraine.
Lavrov instead repeated false claims about Ukraine and said that the war was only continuing because the West is forcing Ukrainians to keep fighting.
Robert Wood, the U.S.'s deputy ambassador to the UN, said that Lavrov's comments were "just blatant disinformation."
Wood emphasized that Russia started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on its own accord, adding that it is Russian President Vladimir Putin's “single-minded pursuit of the obliteration of Ukraine and subjugation of its people that is prolonging it.”
China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun also spoke, urging Russia and Ukraine to begin negotiations and stressing that “we must spare no effort to stem the spillover of the (Ukraine) crisis at a time when the Palestinian-Israeli conflict drags on, and some hotspot issues are at the risk of flaring up.”
Zhang said that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected,” but then went on to criticize Ukraine's bid to join NATO, cautioning that it worsen Ukraine's security concerns.
Ukraine's allies have urged China to use its influence with Russia to help end the war.
China was invited to the fourth round of talks on Ukraine's peace formula in Davos earlier in January, which representatives from eighty countries joined. China was not one of them.
