By Alperen Aktas
ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia will announce a new round of negotiations with Ukraine "in the very near future," the country's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday, emphasizing that eliminating the root causes of the conflict remains a key condition for any breakthrough.
Speaking at the 13th Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues in Moscow, Lavrov said the resumption of direct negotiations came "thanks to the initiative of US President Donald Trump," with "active support" from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi leaders.
"We are grateful to them," he said.
Recalling the May 16 meeting in Istanbul, Lavrov said: "In those negotiations, we insisted on the abolition of all discriminatory laws in Ukraine, and we will continue to demand this in the upcoming talks as well."
He warned that without addressing fundamental issues such as NATO's expansion and Ukraine's potential alliance membership, the talks would not succeed.
"Negotiations are better than war," Lavrov said. "But in order to succeed, the root causes must be eliminated. NATO’s eastward expansion triggered the crisis in Ukraine and undermined security in Europe.”
Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's demands for Ukraine to maintain a neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status – terms discussed in previous Istanbul talks in 2022.
He criticized the West's position on Ukraine's territorial integrity, saying it ignores the right to self-determination.
"The West calls for human rights but turns a blind eye to terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime, including the killings of Russian public figures,” Lavrov said.
He also voiced concern over NATO's growing presence along Russia's border and in the Asia-Pacific, calling such moves "dangerous adventures."
On other fronts, Lavrov stressed the need to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process based on UN decisions and reiterated support for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Regarding Iran's nuclear program, Lavrov expressed cautious optimism, noting "serious progress" in US-Iran dialogue.
“We hope the outcome will be acceptable to all parties involved,” he said.
In an earlier video address to the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is convinced the new global security architecture must be equal and indivisible, meaning all states must receive "firm guarantees of their own security, but not at the expense of the security and interests of other countries."
The last round of direct Russia-Ukraine talks was held in Istanbul on May 16 under Türkiye’s mediation. Moscow claims NATO’s expansion and discriminatory Ukrainian legislation are the primary triggers of the ongoing war.