Lavrov says China could arrange Ukraine peace conference as Switzerland plans to host high-level talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says China could arrange a Russia-Ukraine peace conference, as Switzerland plans to host a high-level conference in mid-June at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Lavrov said in an interview with RIA news agency on Thursday that China could arrange the Russia-Ukraine peace conference, as part of Beijing's initiatives to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

“We share (China’s) position that the root causes of the conflict need to be addressed in the first place and legal interests of all parties need to be protected, with subsequent agreements based on the principle of equal and indivisible security,” Lavrov said.

“Let me underscore again, this entails respecting realities on the ground, which reflect the will of people living there,” he added.

Moscow insists on talks with a precondition that Kiev and the Western countries recognize its territorial gains in Ukraine. However, Kiev has firmly declined such propositions.

Lavrov further criticized the United States for supporting Ukraine, accusing Washington of being complicit in Kiev's actions.

This comes as Kiev is preparing for talks hosted by Switzerland next month purportedly aimed at unifying international opinion on how to end the war. Zelensky, who has proposed the summit, has said Putin should not attend the talks.

Ukraine and Switzerland are pushing for the participation of Russian allies, such as China, but Moscow has dismissed the talks as lacking credibility without its presence.

Putin in Beijing: Russia, China agree to deepen ‘strategic partnership’

The presidents of Russia and China have agreed to deepen their ‘strategic partnership’, scolding the US for posing threats against their countries.

In his remarks, Lavrov also accused the US policy in West Asia, saying it is “fanning the flames of conflict” in the region.

In mid-May, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to further deepen their “strategic partnership,” rebuking the US for posing threats to their countries.

Putin warns West not to let Ukraine use its missiles to hit Russia

Putin has warned of a global conflict if Western countries allow Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets in Russia.

China, a major market for the Russian military, and Russia have significantly strengthened their economic cooperation and diplomatic ties in recent years, with their strategic partnership growing even closer following the Ukraine conflict.

The US and its Western allies have been providing huge military and financial support to Kiev since the start of Russia's “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine in February 2022.

Recently, Putin has warned that NATO members in Europe are playing with fire by proposing to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Monday that Ukraine will receive US-made F-16 fighter jets “very soon” but some half of its desperately needed foreign military aid is arriving late.

The country has for months been repeatedly asking the West to provide it with more military hardware, long-range missiles and advanced warplanes.

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