Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today reiterated his country’s condition to make the settlement of the conflict with Ukraine conditional on Ukraine’s neutral and non-nuclear status.

Speaking at the 13th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Affairs, which is being held in Moscow from 27-29 May, the Eurasian giant’s foreign minister recalled that his government’s demands are in line with Ukraine’s 1991 principles of independence.

«As for NATO membership, I recall that Ukraine’s neutral, non-nuclear and non-bloc status was solemnly proclaimed in the country’s 1991 declaration of independence.

It was precisely these commitments that made it possible for Russia and the rest of the international community to recognise Ukraine as an independent state,» the Slavic diplomat said.

In this sense, Lavrov insisted that the return to these promises is one of Russia’s key demands that must be fulfilled in any negotiation process.

In this regard, he added that this point was also foreseen in the April 2022 talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

In this connection, the foreign minister explained that a new round of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev would be announced shortly in order to continue analysing ways of reaching a solution to the conflict.

«During the negotiations in Istanbul on 16 May, we insisted on the abolition of all discriminatory laws, and we will continue to do so in the next round of direct talks, which we will announce very soon,» he stressed.

Lavrov added that his government had long been prepared to negotiate with Kiev, but the neighbouring country repeatedly refused and took on the pressure imposed by European leaders.

On 16 May, Russian and Ukrainian delegations resumed direct dialogue in Istanbul for the first time in more than three years.

At the meeting, the parties agreed to a massive exchange of prisoners under the ‘thousand-for-thousand’ formula, which was completed in three successive rounds from 23 to 25 May.