Lavrov: Moscow is Ready to Establish Its Intent Not to Attack NATO Countries or Europe with Security Guarantees

SadaNews - Russia confirmed today, Tuesday, its intention not to attack any NATO member states or Europe, while Ukraine called on the United States to pressure China to reduce its support to Moscow, affirming its need for material support to continue the fight.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow is ready to establish its intention not to attack NATO countries or Europe with security guarantees.

However, he added that NATO's expansion has not stopped for a moment despite all commitments, pointing out that the West does not hide its preparations for a major European war, as he described it.

He expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump would remain committed to resolving the conflict in Ukraine based on the Alaska summit that brought together U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin last August.

Regarding negotiations, the Kremlin stated that the halt in the negotiation process concerning Ukraine is due to Kyiv's unwillingness to continue the process, according to its claims.

Call for European Support

In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed that Kyiv needs European financial support to continue fighting against Russian forces for another two or three years.

Zelensky stated in remarks published on Tuesday, "I have reiterated this to all European leaders. I told them we will not fight for decades, but you need to show that you can provide stable financial support to Ukraine for some time."

He added, "So, they have this program in mind, two to three years," referring to a proposal from the European Commission to gradually release frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine.

Zelensky continued, "If the war ends within a month, we will spend this money on recovery. If it does not end within a month, we will spend it on weapons. Simply put, we have no other option."

Zelensky acknowledged that Russian forces entered the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, which was once an important railway hub, noting that Moscow has been trying to control it for over a year.

The Ukrainian president also urged his U.S. counterpart to pressure Chinese President Xi Jinping to reduce his support for Russia when the two leaders meet later this week.

Last week, Trump imposed sanctions on two Russian oil companies and urged countries that buy vital energy exports from Moscow, specifically China and India, to reduce their purchases that Washington and Kyiv claim are funding Russia in its war.

Last week, EU leaders tasked the European Commission with moving forward with funding options for Ukraine for an additional two years, leaving the door open for a massive loan utilizing tens of billions of euros from Russian state assets frozen by the bloc.

Source: Al Jazeera