Sergey Lavrov stated West prevented negotiations to end Ukraine war

The West has prevented negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, our Western partners, who are also members of the Normandy format, are not interested in holding a meeting at the level of leaders,” Lavrov told a press conference, referring to the group of countries that includes Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany.

“Our Western partners are trying to drag out the process, using various pretexts,” he added. Lavrov’s remarks come as the war in Ukraine’s east has entered its sixth year, with no end in sight.

Fighting has intensified in recent months, with both sides accusing the other of violating a fragile ceasefire. The Normandy format was established in 2014 in an effort to resolve the conflict, but negotiations have been stalled for years. Lavrov blamed the West for the impasse, saying they are more interested in “containing” Russia than in finding a solution to the conflict. “Our Western partners… are not interested in promoting a settlement in Ukraine,” he said. “They are interested in keeping Ukraine as a sort of anti-Russian lever, as a pressure point against Russia,” he added. Lavrov’s

Ukraine war, Russia, news update