Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed Ukraine's peace plan, saying it is pointless to ask for Moscow to withdraw its troops from areas it currently occupies.
"We are in any case ready to hold discussions but not on the basis of (President Volodymyr) Zelensky's 'peace formula,'" Lavrov told the Moscow newspaper Izvestia in an interview published on March 29.
Zelensky presented the 10-point peace formula, supported by many Western allies, in November 2022. It includes the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and the release of all prisoners of war and deportees.
The proposals also call for punishing those responsible for war crimes, preventing ecocide in Ukraine, and ensuring energy and food security as well as nuclear safety.
Martin Fornusek
"How could any serious politician in Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, or Berlin say that there is no alternative to the Zelenskiy formula," Lavrov said.
Russia has already said it would not attend the Ukraine peace summit scheduled to be held in Switzerland later this year even if it is invited.
Over 160 countries will be invited to discuss Kyiv's peace formula and create a joint document on what must be done to restore the country's sovereignty.
Lavrov said he had met with Swiss officials who had assured him that Russia would be invited as "we understand that nothing can be solved without you, that's unfair."
He also said U.S. attempts to decouple issues such as arms deals from the war in Ukraine were a "joke."
"All this boils down to the fact that foreign policy in the U.S. is being directed by people who don't know how to engage in diplomacy," he added.
Brian Bonner
