“For the sake of peace, Kyiv must renounce nato and recognize the realities on the ground,” – Russian foreign minister Lavrov says

To conclude a peace agreement with Russia, Ukraine must permanently abandon its attempts to join NATO, agree to a non-aligned and nuclear-free status, and recognize the realities established “on the ground.”

This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.

According to Lavrov, the four new regions that have joined Russia are a reality that Ukraine will have to acknowledge for the cessation of hostilities.

“This is not just about the line of contact. (…) We cannot tolerate a situation where Ukrainian legislation continues to prohibit the Russian language, Russian media, Russian culture, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” Lavrov said.

He added that the conditions set for Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin remain unchanged. Above all, the minister emphasized, this concerns the potential presence of foreign armies on Ukrainian territory.

“No NATO. No military bases, no military exercises on Ukrainian soil involving foreign troops. This is what he [Putin] has reiterated,” Lavrov concluded.

The Foreign Minister also stated that Moscow cannot return to the level of relations with Europe and the United States that existed before 2022. However, he emphasized that Russia is open to considering any constructive proposals from Western states.