Russia was ready to negotiate with Ukraine in the first months of the war, but the United States and other Western countries advised Kyiv not to negotiate with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday, the Associated Press agency reports. .ro

“It is known that we supported the proposal of the Ukrainian side to conduct negotiations at the beginning of the special operation, and by the end of March both delegations agreed on the principle of resolving this conflict,” said Sergey Lavrov, who is on a visit to South Africa. “It is common knowledge and completely public that our American, British and some European colleagues told Ukraine that it was too early to negotiate, and the agreements that were almost agreed upon were never again approved by the Kyiv regime,” he claimed. head of Russian diplomacy.

The United States and other Western countries have said Russia is not serious about an agreement to end the nearly year-long war that began on February 24. Russia has repeatedly rejected the demands of Ukraine and the West to completely withdraw from Ukraine as a condition for any negotiations. US President Joe Biden, for his part, said he would be ready to talk to Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader showed he was serious about ending the invasion.

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Lavrov went to conquer Africa

Lavrov is in Pretoria for talks with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandora. Moscow wants to strengthen ties with the most developed African country, a historical ally, against the background of the current conflict in Ukraine.

South Africa continues to maintain close ties with Russia after the Soviet Union supported the country’s current ruling party, the African National Congress, when it was a liberation movement fighting to end the country’s apartheid system. That relationship largely led South Africa to abstain from a UN vote last year to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine, although on Monday a small group of people demonstrated against Russia and the large-scale invasion of Ukraine outside the building where Lavrov and Pandor held talks.

South Africa is the most significant of several African states to have taken a neutral stance on the war and refused to condemn Russia’s invasion – much to the chagrin of the US and other Western partners, who also see South Africa as an important part of their plans to build relations in Africa.

Lavrov met with Pandora in the South African capital and is expected to visit other African countries as part of the tour. This is the second visit of the Russian minister to Africa in six months, as Moscow is trying to gain support and influence in the territory, which is of interest to other world powers, in particular China and the USA.

Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impact on the 1.3 billion inhabitants of Africa means, first of all, rising oil and food prices.

“We are fully aware that conflict, wherever it exists in the world, has a negative impact on all of us. (…) This is why we, South Africa, have consistently stated that we will always be ready to support the peaceful resolution of conflicts on the continent and around the world,” said the head of South African diplomacy.

Lavrov repeated earlier accusations that the West is responsible for the rise in world food prices.

South Africa conducts joint military exercises with Russia and China

Despite South Africa’s stated neutrality towards Ukraine, Lavrov’s visit comes days after South Africa’s armed forces announced that they will hold joint exercises with the Russian and Chinese navies off South Africa’s east coast next month, involving Russian and Chinese troops. ships Indian Ocean.

On Monday, Lavrov insisted that the naval exercises would be “transparent” and comply with international law.

“Three sovereign countries are organizing training without violating international law, and I don’t understand who it can harm,” Lavrov said, as quoted by the Russian state news agency TASS.

During his African tour last year, Lavrov visited Ethiopia, Egypt, Uganda and the Republic of Congo. Shortly thereafter, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited South Africa, which was seen as an attempt by Washington to counter the expansion of Russian influence on the strategically important continent.

This time, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will begin an official visit to South Africa on Wednesday after stops in Senegal and Zambia.

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