On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov categorically reaffirmed his country’s position on the Ukrainian conflict during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
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“Having learned from bitter experience, we will not pause the special military operation for the duration of negotiations in any format,” he said.
“Although this is precisely what Europe wants, all with the same simple goal: to gain a respite and replenish the depleted military arsenals of the Kiev regime, which, out of desperation, has long since resorted to openly terrorist methods,” Lavrov pointed out.
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Russian diplomat also held a 50-minute meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. At the meeting, Lavrov reaffirmed that Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure are the cause of “the destabilization of energy markets.”
The Russian diplomat drew attention to the “close coordination” between Kiev and European governments, which Moscow accuses of encouraging the continuation of the conflict by supplying weapons to the enemy.
Later, at a news conference, Rubio said the Trump administration would try to get both sides to reach an agreement to halt attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and Ukrainian electrical infrastructure.
“We will try. I think we are prepared to play a positive role in achieving it,” he said, acknowledging that reaching such an agreement would not be easy, given that both sides consider attacks on those facilities part of their strategic objectives.
Rubio also added that one of the United States’ concerns is that the war between Russia and Ukraine could spread to other countries through hybrid attacks, acts of sabotage or even accidental incidents that could lead to a direct confrontation.
Previously, the Kremlin said the truce would not resolve global energy problems as long as Kiev continues to threaten the export of Russian hydrocarbons through the Black Sea.
Since late June, Ukraine has attacked about 30 Russian refineries, greatly reducing Russia’s processing and export capacity to levels not seen in more than 20 years.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: EFE – Sputnik – TASS
Source: teleSUR
