In an exclusive interview with Berlusconi’s Italian television channel Rete 4, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke about the war in Ukraine and its possible developments.
“Zelensky can bring peace if he stops the hostilities and stops giving orders to neo-Nazi battalions. “We are not asking him to surrender, but to order an end to hostilities and the release of all citizens,” he said.
Regarding the issue of natural gas, he added:
“They stole our money, billions of euros. Gazprom was forced to keep its money in Western banks and now these funds are no longer available. “We therefore suggested that the various commissions could be considered to have been paid only when the relevant amounts were converted into rubles.”
Asked by an Italian journalist about Vladimir Putin’s health, Lavrov replied with a smile: “Ask foreigners who spoke to him, such as the UN Secretary-General.”
At the same time, he did not want to confirm or deny whether Russia is planning to complete the military operations on May 9. “We focus our action on defending and guaranteeing the security of the civilian population, the removal of Nazi threats and, of course, threats against the Russian Federation.”
The head of the diplomacy of the Russian Federation described as “false news” the residents of Bouka who were killed in the streets of the city and denied any responsibility of his country. He also reiterated that “the Minsk agreements were not respected.”
He said he was surprised by Italy’s stance, which now leads in sanctions against his country, and accused the EU of being “humiliated by the United States”.
Asked about efforts to find a diplomatic solution, Sergei Lavrov replied:
“In March, in Istanbul, Zelensky said that Ukraine was ready to become a neutral country, without nuclear weapons, under an agreement that would not include Donbass and Crimea. “But now they are trying to take the discussion in another direction, asking for the possibility of joining NATO to be maintained.”
The Russian Foreign Minister stressed that “the operation in Ukraine”, as he called it, is also carried out to “de-Naziize the country”, due to the action of the Azov Order. “Prisoners belonging to this order have tattoos and symbols of Nazism,” he said.
Lavrov stressed that his country’s new weapons “are supersonic weapons that are no longer a secret and are a response to the United States missile system, which will target Russia.”
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