Lavrov called the security of the east of Ukraine and Russia the goal of the special operation

Zelensky had "all the cards" to establish peace in the Donbass, but he chose not to, Lavrov said. According to him, Moscow seeks to ensure the security of RUSSIA and the inhabitants of eastern Ukraine,

The purpose of the special military operation is to ensure the security of eastern Ukraine and Russia, Moscow does not intend to seek a change of power in the country. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the Italian edition of Mediaset, according to the website of the Foreign Ministry.

“We want to ensure the safety of people in the east of Ukraine, so that they are not threatened by either the militarization or the nazification of this country, and that there are no threats to the security of the Russian Federation from the territory of Ukraine,” Lavrov said.

The minister also noted that the Russian side does not require Zelensky to surrender, but he should be ordered to “release all civilians and stop resistance.” The change of power in countries is a "specialty" of the United States , Lavrov is sure, he added that Washington "does this all over the world."

Lavrov said that the end of the special operation will not be adjusted to May 9 Politics

Responding to a question about which of the world leaders can start the process to conclude an agreement between Russia, Ukraine and the West, Lavrov called it "good, but very belated." In his opinion, Petro Poroshenko, who served as president of Ukraine, could solve “all problems with the world”. “I was elected in 2014 under the slogan “Peace in Donbass.” Then he started the war,” he said.

Lavrov also said that during the election campaign in 2019, Zelensky “revealed himself as the “president of the world,” and having been elected, in December of the same year, he signed an obligation to fulfill the MINSK agreements and adopt a law granting Donbas a special status within the framework of a united Ukraine. “He had every chance. “All the “cards” and “trump cards” were in his hands,” the Russian Foreign Minister said, adding that the Ukrainian president instead began to “publicly and arrogantly” say that he would not fulfill the agreements, citing the unwillingness to “crash the Ukrainian people , states".

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Three weeks earlier, in mid-April, Lavrov had said that Russia's actions in Ukraine should prevent the "reckless course" of complete US domination of the world. “Domination, which is built with gross violations of international law. According to certain rules, which they only now repeat and which they develop from case to case, ”he explained. As an example, the minister compared the situation in Kosovo (its authorities recognized independence in 200 with the support of the United States and other Western countries) and Crimea. “In Kosovo, without a referendum, it is possible to recognize independence, but in Crimea, as a result of a referendum <...> it is impossible,” Lavrov said.

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Russian forces launched a special military operation in Ukraine on the night of February 24, such a decision was made by President Vladimir Putin . He justified it by protecting the civilians of Donbass from “bullying, genocide” by Kyiv (later he designated this goal as the main one), “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine. He assured that Russia does not intend to occupy the territory of a neighboring state. “Today's events are not connected with the desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are connected with the protection of Russia itself from those who have taken Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and its people,” Putin said at the time.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that “ideally” the neighboring state should be “cleansed of pro-Nazi people,” as well as neutralizing its “military potential,” which has recently been growing. The HEAD of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, complained in March that the situation in negotiations with representatives of Ukraine had become "rather strange." “Ukrainian colleagues on the other side of the table believe that there are no Nazi entities in Ukraine,” he said.

About a month ago, at the end of March, the Ministry of Defense announced that the goals of the first stage of the special operation had been achieved. The ministry claims that the plan was to "force the enemy to concentrate their forces, means, resources and military equipment to hold large settlements in these directions, including Kyiv." At the end of April, Deputy Commander of the Central Military District Rustam Minnekayev said that one of the goals of the second stage of the special operation would be to establish control over the Donbass and southern Ukraine.

See also Lavrov announced wordings close to agreement in the dialogue with Ukraine 00:42

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