Russia puts people ahead of territorial issues in Ukraine – FM Lavrov

Russia’s priority in resolving the Ukraine conflict is the people, rather than the territorial issue, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“The United States may say that it is necessary to resolve the territorial issue regarding Ukraine, but for Russia, the main thing is people,” Lavrov stressed, adding that he would meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The minister also noted that Russia is ready for both bilateral and trilateral negotiations on Ukraine, adding that “Europeans periodically propose that Moscow establish a channel of communication on Ukraine, and Russia has not refused this.”

At the same time, he said Russia will not suspend its “special military operation” in Ukraine for the duration of the negotiations.

He further said that “the world would already have lived without a war in Ukraine for a year if the Europeans had not persuaded the United States to abandon the Anchorage agreements.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada