Russia Says It Will not Enter Talks Till Ukraine Stops Combating

MOSCOW — Russia on Friday rejected talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and made it clear that it was searching for to topple his democratically elected authorities, which International Minister Sergey V. Lavrov mentioned was steered by “neo-Nazis” and the West.

“We don’t see the potential for recognizing as democratic a authorities that persecutes and makes use of strategies of genocide towards its personal individuals,” Mr. Lavrov mentioned throughout a information convention in Moscow.

Moscow additionally vowed that the battle would quickly be over.

“Russia can’t permit Ukraine to turn out to be a dagger raised above us within the palms of Washington,” the pinnacle of Russia’s overseas intelligence company, Sergei Naryshkin, mentioned in a quick deal with aired on Russian state tv. “The particular army operation will restore peace in Ukraine inside a brief period of time and forestall a possible bigger battle in Europe.”

Russian propaganda falsely claims that “neo-Nazis” controlling Ukraine’s authorities are perpetrating a genocide towards Russian audio system within the nation. President Vladimir V. Putin mentioned Thursday that the aim of Russia’s assault on Ukraine was to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine, and Mr. Lavrov repeated these phrases on Friday, making it clear that Russia was searching for to put in a brand new authorities in Kyiv.

“What we’re speaking about is stopping Nazis and those that push strategies of genocide to rule on this nation,” Mr. Lavrov mentioned. “Proper now, the regime that’s positioned in Kyiv is underneath two mechanisms of exterior management: first, the West, led by the USA, and secondly, neo-Nazis.”

Mr. Lavrov mentioned Russia can be ready to carry negotiations solely when Ukraine stopped combating.

“We’re prepared for talks at any second, as quickly because the Ukrainian Armed Forces reply the decision of our president to cease their resistance and put down their arms,” Mr. Lavrov mentioned.

He additionally claimed that Russia was not bombing civilian targets and that it was attempting to restrict casualties within the Ukrainian army.

“No strikes towards civilian infrastructure are being carried out,” he mentioned. “No strikes are being carried out on areas of Ukrainian military personnel in dormitories or different locations not related to army services.”

The United Nations mentioned on Friday that the combating in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion started had induced not less than 127 civilian casualties, together with 25 deaths, but it surely cautioned that the toll was most likely a lot increased.