Russia accuses Ukraine of being ‘manipulated’ by the US and UK

On May 17, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that London and Washington had exercised their control over Ukrainian negotiators with the aim of de-escalating the conflict, and this policy made peace negotiations possible. between Moscow and Kiev stalled.

Speaking at the New Horizons educational marathon, Foreign Minister Lavrov said that Ukraine was able to make its own decision when negotiating with Russia in Istanbul, which included a number of “acceptable principles”. . However, according to the Minister, these ideas are clearly not supported by the West.

“According to our many sources, Washington and especially London have led the Ukrainian negotiators, controlling their freedom of decision. The West wants to prolong the conflict, for them the conflict is more. The longer they go on, the more damage they cause to Russia,” Lavrov said.

“In any case, neither London, Washington nor the West made any proposals,” Lavrov added.

“The West acknowledges that Ukraine can be destroyed in a combined all-out war against Russia,” Lavrov said, citing comments from European Union (EU), UK and US officials. .

“The war is taking place not at all between Ukraine and Russia, but between the West and Russia,” concluded Lavrov.

Earlier, on May 17, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said that dialogue between Moscow and Kiev had completely stalled after Kiev withdrew from the negotiations without giving any response to the proposals. Latest Russian production.

An adviser to the Ukrainian president, Mikhail Podolyak, later confirmed that “after the joint statement in Istanbul in March 2022, negotiations between the two sides have not changed or progressed”.