Latest news with #Лавров
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Russia slams Israeli attacks on Gaza as ‘collective punishment' of civilians
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday slammed Israeli attacks on Gaza as 'collective punishment of the civilian population,' in some of Moscow's strongest criticism of Israel as it steps up its offensive. Lavrov said 'measures taken by Israel' in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas 'constitute collective punishment of the civilian population,' calling what was happening in Gaza 'incomprehensible and indescribable.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia will reveal peace terms to Ukraine after prisoner exchange, Lavrov says
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on May 23 that Moscow will convey its peace terms to Kyiv immediately after the completion of the prisoner exchange between the two countries, which is currently ongoing. Speaking to Russian state media, Lavrov disclosed that Moscow is "actively working" on a list of conditions for the war in Ukraine. The list will be ready "as soon as the exchange of prisoners of war is completed," Lavrov said. Following tumultuous on May 16 – the first between the two countries since 2022 – Ukraine and Russia agreed on a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange. The exchange process started on May 23 and will continue through May 25. In the initial phase of the process, the two parties swapped 390 prisoners each, and an additional each on May 24. During the Istanbul talks, Ukraine and Russia also agreed to exchange documents detailing their respective ceasefire conditions. Separately, Russia is preparing a "memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty," which Russian President Vladimir Putin first mentioned during a recent with United States President Donald Trump. officials have clarified that the memorandum is separate from the list of ceasefire conditions currently under preparation. While Moscow's list of conditions have yet to be revealed, Russia has repeatedly reiterated maximalist demands, including that Ukraine accept the loss of Crimea and four eastern regions. Earlier this week, on May 22, Lavrov also said that Moscow is uninterested in a in Ukraine, insisting that the "root causes" of the war need to be resolved first. A recent also revealed that Russia is committed to waging war in Ukraine through the end of 2025, and its objectives in the – Ukrainian neutrality and a partition of the Ukrainian state – have not changed. These recent developments suggest that Russia is unwilling to negotiate in good faith, despite offering to share a list of ceasefire conditions after the . Read also: Russia 'hasn't faced enough pressure' —Ukrainian, foreign diplomats react to overnight attack on Kyiv We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lavrov dismisses Vatican as possible venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on May 24 cast doubt on the Vatican as a possible venue for future peace talks with Ukraine, saying the Catholic seat would not be an appropriate platform for negotiations between two Orthodox Christian nations, Reuters reported. Previously, Pope Leo XIV expressed his willingness to host the next round of peace talks in the Vatican. Several of Ukraine's partners, including the United States, have suggested that the Vatican could become a neutral platform for further negotiations. "Imagine the Vatican as a venue for negotiations," Lavrov reportedly said during a speech at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow. 'It would be a bit inelegant for Orthodox countries to use a Catholic platform to discuss issues on how to remove the root causes (of the war)." Lavrov added that he believed "it would not be very comfortable for the Vatican itself to host delegations from two Orthodox countries in these circumstances." Ukrainian and Russian delegations met in Istanbul for peace talks on May 16, failing to reach a ceasefire agreement. During the meeting, Moscow demanded Kyiv withdraw from four Ukrainian regions it claims to have annexed, despite lacking full control over them. Ukrainian officials said the Russian delegation appeared to lack real authority and was unprepared to negotiate substantive terms. One outcome of the talks was a large-scale prisoner exchange, with 1,000 prisoners returning on each side beginning May 23. Ukraine had also proposed an immediate ceasefire and a potential face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin — an offer Moscow declined. Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on May 18, following the pontiff's inauguration mass. The Ukrainian leader described the pope as "a symbol of hope for peace" and said the Holy See could play an important role in ending the war. The two discussed the return of children forcibly deported by Russia and other humanitarian issues. Zelensky presented Pope Leo with an icon painted on artillery debris from the front lines — a gift meant to represent Ukrainian children affected by the war. Before becoming pope, Leo XIV denounced Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine while serving as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru. In his 2022 interview, he described it as "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power." Read also: BREAKING: Ukraine brings home 307 POWs in 2nd phase of major prisoner swap with Russia We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Free Malaysia Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Russia's Lavrov says radical groups engaged in ‘ethnic cleansing' in Syria
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov's comments follow reports of attacks on a Russian airbase in Syria. (EPA Images pic) MOSCOW : Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow is deeply concerned by what he said was ethnic cleansing being carried out by 'radical militant groups' in Syria. The comments came as Syrian sources and Russian social media channels reported an apparent attack on one of the two military bases Moscow maintains in Syria. 'Radical militant groups are carrying out real ethnic cleansing, mass killings of people based on their nationality and religion,' Lavrov said, according to a transcript of his comments published on the foreign ministry website. There was no indication as to what groups he was referring to in his speech to a reception to mark the last day of the Easter period for Orthodox Christians. Russia, which maintains two military bases in Syria, was a key backer of the government of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, who is now in Russia, where he was given asylum. A March outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria's coastal northwest, which was an Assad stronghold, left hundreds of members of the former leader's Alawite sect dead. Russia has attempted to maintain ties with Syria's new authorities, who have said that they may yet allow Moscow to retain use of the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base. Two sources in Syria familiar with the matter said that the Hmeimim airbase had come under attack earlier on Tuesday. Military Informer, a pro-Russian Telegram channel that focuses on military matters, published what it said was video of a firefight between Russian troops and Syrian fighters at the base. Reuters could not verify the footage. The Syrian sources said that the motive for the attack on the airbase, which has sheltered Alawite refugees since the March attacks, was unclear. One, a Syrian security official based in the coastal city of Latakia, said an investigation was underway. US President Donald Trump this month ordered sanctions on Syria imposed during Assad's rule removed, in a major policy shift for Washington.
Asharq Al-Awsat
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Russia's Lavrov Says Radical Groups Engaged in 'Ethnic Cleansing' in Syria
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow is deeply concerned by what he said was ethnic cleansing being carried out by "radical militant groups" in Syria, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday. TASS cited Lavrov as saying of Syria: "Radical militant groups are carrying out real ethnic cleansing, mass killings of people based on their nationality and religion." Tass gave no details on which groups Lavrov was referring to, according to Reuters. Russia, which maintains two military bases in Syria, was a key backer of the government of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, who is now in Russia, where he was given asylum. A March outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria's coastal northwest, which was an Assad stronghold, left hundreds of members of the former leader's Alawite sect dead. Russia has attempted to maintain ties with Syria's new authorities, who have said that they may yet allow Moscow to retain use of the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base. US President Donald Trump this month ordered sanctions on Syria imposed during Assad's rule removed, in a major policy shift for Washington.
