updates
“Don’t Get Surrender”
Meeting of foreign ministers brings “no progress”
03/10/2022, 11:19 am
For the first time since the war began, Russia and Ukraine are meeting for government-level talks. The foreign ministers’ meeting brought no results. “No progress” has been made on the ceasefire either, says Ukrainian Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
The first meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of the war did not bring any significant progress. It was also not possible to agree on humanitarian corridors for the city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea, said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday after talks with his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov in Antalya, Turkey.
Lavrov accused the West of exacerbating the conflict by supplying arms to Ukraine. “We see how dangerous our Western colleagues, including the European Union, are now acting.” The conversation in a hotel – the first since the Russian attack on the neighboring country two weeks ago – only lasted about an hour and a half. Until then, only lower-level negotiators from both sides had met.
Kuleba subsequently said Lavrov was unable to arrange escape corridors himself. “He will discuss this with the relevant authorities in Russia,” said the Ukrainian minister. In addition, a 24-hour ceasefire was discussed “to solve the most urgent humanitarian problems”. Literally, Kuleba said: “We have not made any progress on this issue. Because it seems that these decisions are being made by others in Russia.” Both Lavrov and Kuleba were in principle ready for further talks. “We are for any contacts, but contacts must bring added value,” said Lavrov. As a condition, Kuleba stated that “there are prospects for substantial discussions and a serious search for solutions”.
“Simple and difficult at the same time”
According to Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin also has nothing against meeting his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, “preparation work” is required for this. Lavrov claimed that Russia did not attack Ukraine. Rather, his country felt its security threatened. Russia will emerge from the crisis with a new view of the world. He will have no illusions about the West, Lavrov said. Russia will try never to be dependent on the West again.
Lavrov accused the United States of secretly operating laboratories for the development of biological weapons in Ukraine. Moscow wrote to Washington requesting it to explain its experiments in the biolaboratories in Ukraine. The US is said to have been working on the development of biological weapons in the greatest secrecy. Lavrov rejected criticism from the West that there was no evidence for this. “It’s not surprising,” Lavrov said. Nobody knew about it until now because it is a secret program. The Russian Ministry of Defense had already published documents intended to prove the program and announced further evidence.
“We don’t plan to invade other countries”
Lavrov again justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and claimed that it was not an “invasion”. Russia always emphasizes that it is a “special military operation” to protect the Russian-speaking population and avert threats to its own security. The operation is going according to plan. “We want to end this war,” said the minister. “We don’t plan to invade any other countries. We didn’t invade Ukraine either,” Lavrov said.
Referring to the Russian bombing of a pediatric and maternity hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol on Wednesday, Lavrov said the hospital had been used as a base by “Ukrainian nationalists”. “This maternity hospital was taken over by the Azov Battalion and other radicals a long time ago.” The nurses and staff were “put outside the door”. According to Ukrainian sources, three people were killed in the attack on Wednesday, including a child. At least 17 employees were injured.
Kuleba said the conversation was easy and difficult at the same time. “Simple because Minister Lavrov essentially presented his traditional narratives about Ukraine. Difficult because I did my best to find at least a diplomatic solution to the humanitarian tragedy unfolding before our eyes on the battlefield in the besieged cities.”
The meeting started in the morning. It was brokered by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. NATO member Turkey maintains good relations with both warring factions and has repeatedly offered to mediate.