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Russia’s Foreign Minister stressed on the ‘path to continue’ diplomacy in the Ukraine crisis

Russia has indicated that it is ready to continue communicating with the West about its security concerns, raising hopes it wants to de-escalate a crisis over Ukraine that has raised the prospect of another. new war in Europe.

In a televised meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said diplomatic intervention with the West should continue and he could see a way to move forward in negotiations.

Asked by Putin about the possibility of reaching a security agreement with the West on Ukraine and Nato, Lavrov said: “There is always a chance.”

Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, who will meet Putin for talks on Tuesday in Moscow, also stressed on Monday that NATO’s Ukraine membership is “not on the agenda” – a message that could be read seen as an attempt to address Russia’s security concerns.

“Alliance member [for Ukraine] reality is not an issue,” Scholz said after talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. “And that’s why it’s a bit odd that the Russian government is turning something that’s really not on the agenda into a major political issue.”

Foreign Minister Lavrov’s comments, amid a carefully curated Kremlin, came after several Western capitals warned that Russia could launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine within days and urged their citizens to leave the country. Russia denies it has any plans to invade.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said US embassy operations in Kyiv would be temporarily shifted to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv “due to a dramatic increase in Russia’s force buildup “.

“My team and I are constantly reviewing the security situation to determine when it is prudent to change posture,” he said, adding: “The embassy will continue to engage with the Ukrainian government, coordinating diplomatic engagement in Ukraine. We are also continuing active diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Putin to step back from “the brink” as he warned of “pretty clear evidence” that Moscow is planning an invasion of Ukraine. There is still time for President Putin to step back.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said during his meeting with Putin that the United States had made specific proposals on mitigating military risks, and called on the Russian president to continue negotiations. However, several key Russian demands remain unresolved.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said that diplomacy in the past months had brought some results for Russia. Lavrov said Moscow’s demands, first raised in December, were successful in “shaking” Western governments, creating “a willingness to engage in serious negotiations” and progress on issues that Russia has long sought to discuss.

“So I think we can now look at a way forward,” he said.

Foreign Minister Lavrov’s comments came at the end of a tense weekend of diplomacy designed to de-escalate military tensions between Moscow and the West, including a call between Putin and US President Joe Biden and another call on Sunday. Saturday between Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron.

During his trip to Kyiv, Scholz emphasized the principle that every country is free to join any alliance they choose “not to be discussed” and “there are no such things as areas of concern in Europe.” “. “But we should look directly at the facts,” he added.

Scholz asserts that Germany has “matched” with Ukraine. He said Germany had decided to accelerate the release of a 150 million euro loan for Kyiv along with another 150 million euro of new credit. Germany has provided more than $2 billion in economic aid to Ukraine since 2014, he added.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia had prepared a 10-page letter outlining its response to the US and NATO responses to Russia’s security requirements, first outlined in a letter last month. twelfth.

Russia’s demands include reversing Nato’s eastward expansion and barring Ukraine from joining a future transatlantic military alliance. It has concentrated about 130,000 troops on the eastern flank of Ukraine.

Russia is holding joint exercises in Belarus and holding smaller drills on its border with Ukraine, raising fears that such actions are preparation for military action.

Mr. Scholz said that Russia’s military activities on the Ukrainian border were “incomprehensible to us”.

“There is no logical reason for such a military buildup,” he said, adding that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity were “non-negotiable” for Germany.

But Zelensky admits that the two disagreed on a number of issues during their talks, in particular the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would increase Russian gas output directly to Germany via the Baltic Sea.

“We see NS2 through the lens of energy and security risks to us and the region,” said Zelensky. “We understand well that this is a geopolitical weapon.”

In London, Johnson said European countries need to “get Nord Stream”. [2] out of the blood stream. . . It turns out that the food dripping under the skin of Russian hydrocarbons is keeping so many of Europe’s economies afloat. “

He stressed the need to find “alternative energy sources” to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, adding that the continent must “be ready to impose some consequences.” very, very serious economic” for Moscow.

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