Russia’s Lavrov: Both Ukraine fulfils Moscow’s proposals or our military will determine

Dec 27 (Reuters) – Moscow’s proposals for settlement in Ukraine are well-known to Kyiv and both Ukraine fulfils them for their very own good or the Russian military will determine the problem, TASS company quoted Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying.

“Our proposals for the demilitarization and denazification of the territories managed by the regime, the elimination of threats to Russia’s safety emanating from there, together with our new lands, are well-known to the enemy,” the state information company quoted Lavrov as saying late on Monday.

“The purpose is straightforward: Fulfil them on your personal good. In any other case, the problem can be determined by the Russian military.”

Moscow has been calling its invasion in Ukraine a “particular navy operation” to “demilitarise” and “denazify” its neighbour. Kyiv and its Western allies name it an imperial-style aggression to seize land.

In September, Moscow proclaimed it had annexed 4 provinces of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – after holding so-called referendums that had been rejected as bogus and unlawful by Kyiv and its allies.

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Moscow was open to negotiations and blamed Kyiv and its Western backers for a scarcity of talks, a stance Washington has beforehand dismissed as posturing amid persistent Russian assaults.

Lavrov informed TASS that in the case of how lengthy the battle will final, “the ball is within the regime’s court docket and Washington behind it.”

There isn’t any finish in sight to the conflict, which has entered its eleventh month and which has killed hundreds, displaced hundreds of thousands and turned cities into rubble.

Kyiv has dominated out conceding any land to Russia in return for peace, and publicly calls for Russia relinquish all territory. Moscow has insisted it’s pursing “demilitarisation” and “denazification” however in actuality its goals haven’t been absolutely outlined.

Extra reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv; Writing by Lidia Kelly and Ron Popeski; Modifying by Sandra Maler

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