Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Photo: Reuters).
Speaking to CBS News in New York on the sidelines of United Nations meetings on Ukraine and the Middle East, Lavrov rejected US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent statement that Moscow had not shown "a willingness to engage in good faith negotiations."
"That is not true," Lavrov stressed, asserting that Russia is always ready to discuss "any serious proposals" aimed at resolving the situation on the ground and the underlying causes of the war.
He made it clear that Moscow is also ready to reach a solution "that ensures the legitimate national interests of Russia and the Ukrainian people", and affirmed that any agreement must be consistent with Russia's core security interests.
The Foreign Minister reiterated that Russia has long expressed concerns about NATO expansion.
“The goal is simple… we have been warning publicly since 2008… that NATO expansion, contrary to all the promises (to Russia and the Soviet Union)… has gone too far,” he said.
At the 2008 summit in Bucharest, NATO leaders issued a statement affirming that Ukraine would eventually become part of the alliance, sparking a furious response from Russia.
Foreign Minister Lavrov also said he did not believe the situation surrounding the Ukraine issue would be different if Donald Trump was re-elected as US President this year.
Last week, Mr. Trump, the leading presidential candidate of the US Republican Party and a potential opponent of incumbent President Joe Biden, declared that he could quickly end the Russia-Ukraine conflict if re-elected.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed skepticism about Mr Trump’s ability to end the conflict, stressing that Ukraine would never accept territorial concessions in exchange for peace with Russia.
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