Bildt believes Lavrov's statements leave virtually no chance for ceasefire with Ukraine
Statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicate a practical lack of chances for a ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, says Carl Bildt, co-chairman of the European Council on Foreign Relations and former Swedish Prime Minister.
With what FM Lavrov has now outlined as Russia’s demands there is now virtually no chance for a ceasefire with Ukraine along the lines demanded by Trump. A maximalist position,” Bildt said on X Monday.
As reported earlier, Lavrov stated that the final settlement of the war in Ukraine should be based on the recognition of the Russian ownership of the occupied territories, as well as Ukraine's non-accession to NATO and the consolidation of its non-aligned status. "The international recognition of the Russian ownership of Crimea, Sevastopol, the DPR, LPR, Kherson region and Zaporizhia is imperative. All of Kyiv's obligations must be legally secured, have enforcement mechanisms and be of an indefinite nature," he said in an interview with the Brazilian ezine O Globo.
In addition, according to Lavrov, the agenda includes the tasks of "lifting sanctions, lawsuits and arrest warrants, and returning Russian assets frozen in the West."
He also noted that the current American administration is "trying to understand the root causes of the crisis," and the European Union is "trying to undermine the achievement of agreements under the pretext that it is not really invited to the negotiations." At the same time, Lavrov stated that the Russian Federation allegedly remains open to negotiations, but "the ball is not in our court."
