The Foreign Minister of the aggressor state russia, Sergei Lavrov, used an interview in English with the American media NBC to reiterate the kremlin's categorical rejection of the US-proposed peace initiatives in Ukraine.
This is stated in the russian Offensive Campaign Assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) as of August 24, the Ukrainian News agency reports.
Analysts analyzed Lavrov's interview with NBC, in which he reiterated that russia considers NATO expansion and the alleged "violation of russian security interests" to be one of the "root causes" for the war. He called the achievement of the kremlin's military goals the elimination of threats to russia's security "coming from the Ukrainian territory", as well as the protection of the rights of "ethnic russians and russian speakers who decided that they belong to russian culture". He also argued that russia has a "duty" to support and protect those who share the values of the russian language and the "russian world".
"Lavrov's statements in the NBC interview reiterate consistent Kremlin claims that the alleged "root causes" of the war are NATO's eastward expansion and Ukraine's discrimination against Russian speakers… Lavrov's continued insistence that any end to the war must address Russia's "root causes," including multiple times following the August 15 Alaska summit, continues to indicate that Russia's war aims have not changed," the analysts conclude.
In addition, ISW notes, Lavrov has continued to attempt to portray Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an obstacle to lasting peace in Ukraine in order to distract from the kremlin's unwillingness to compromise or engage in negotiations, according to the timetable proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Lavrov also hinted that any meeting between Zelenskyy and putin would be futile, making it clear that putin does not want to meet with Zelenskyy unless Ukraine agrees to russia's initial demands, which amount to Ukraine's military, political, and cultural surrender.
The ISW described Lavrov's statements that Zelenskyy is not currently the legitimate leader of Ukraine under the Ukrainian Constitution as false. In doing so, he continued the kremlin's months-long efforts to exploit Ukraine's legally-based inability to hold elections during the war and to deliberately distort the Ukrainian Constitution and legislation.
"Lavrov is likely attempting to inject these justifications for not engaging in the peace process into the American information space in an attempt to sway US policy and public opinion in Russia's favor," the analysts emphasized.
At the same time, Lavrov argued that the 1994 Budapest Memorandum guaranteed Ukraine's security "like any other non-nuclear state" and that the legal obligation of nuclear states that provide guarantees to non-nuclear states is not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states.
"Lavrov's claims ignore, however, that the memorandum also states that Russia, the UK, and United States are committed to "respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine"," ISW said.
During the NBC interview, Lavrov repeatedly referred to the security guarantees for Ukraine set out in the draft 2022 Istanbul Treaty. The draft 2022 treaty stated that Russia would be one of the states guaranteeing Ukraine's security, but that all guarantor states would have to reach a consensus before providing assistance to Ukraine in the event of an armed attack on it - essentially giving russia a veto over the ability of other guarantor states to assist Ukraine in the event of renewed russian aggression.
ISW said it continues to believe that granting russia a veto over Western security guarantees would allow the Kremlin to weaken Ukraine's ability to resist a potential russian invasion, preventing Ukraine from concluding security agreements such as those currently under discussion. to increase and modernize its armed forces and receive support from Ukraine's partners.
"Lavrov is likely attempting to obfuscate Russia's 2014 and 2022 violations of the Budapest Memorandum in an interview for American audiences in order to push for a future security guarantee agreement listing Russia as a guarantor state," ISW summarizes.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on August 22, US President Donald Trump said that he would make a decision on his further actions in the war of the aggressor country russia against Ukraine in two weeks.
Trump suggested that putin may not want to conclude an agreement on Ukraine. According to him, putin's intentions should become clear in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy promised to work out security guarantees in the "coming days."
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