The global community must confront the underlying "root causes" that led to the ongoing "crisis" in Europe and ignited the conflict in Ukraine, while the West should refrain from issuing threats against Russia, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks on Tuesday.
Lavrov emphasized that anyAny “political and diplomatic settlement (of the Ukraine conflict) should be accompanied by specific steps aimed at removing the threats to the Russian Federation posed by the (West)", he told a ministerial summit at the UN Security Council, listing the measures to "restore trust and stabilise the situation", RT reported.
"The root causes of the crisis that has broken out in Europe should be dealt with once and for all."
He pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously detailed specific prerequisites for achieving "sustainable peace" in Ukraine, indicating that a ceasefire could be established contingent upon a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from "all Russian territories," which includes Donetsk, Lugansk, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye. Furthermore, he insisted that Ukraine must legally commit to not joining NATO.
Lavrov noted that any conclusive agreement should be acknowledged by Western nations and facilitate the lifting of sanctions against Russia, a proposal that was rejected by both Kiev and Western powers during the "Ukraine Peace Summit" in Switzerland.
Additionally, the Russian Foreign Minister highlighted the necessity for mutual "guarantees and agreements" between Russia and the West. He also urged the recognition of the "new geostrategic realities on the Eurasian continent" and the establishment of a new "pan-continental architecture of truly equal and indivisible security."
He called for a restoration of balance in global and regional power dynamics, emphasizing the need to rectify economic injustices worldwide.
According to Lavrov, a multipolar world must eliminate monopolies in financial regulation, trade, and technology. He also advocated for reforming the World Trade Organization to better reflect the “real weight” of non-Western centers of growth and development.
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