04:09Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region had made the idea of peace talks with Kiev 'irrelevant', during a press conference which followed a meeting with Senegalese Foreign Minister Yassine Fall in Moscow on Thursday.
"Our readiness to negotiate should not have caused anyone any doubts, although, of course, after the adventure in the Kursk region, any talks in this regard become irrelevant <...> These actions are obviously aimed at escalating the situation according to their terminology. Well, I am convinced that these plans are doomed to failure, I have no doubt about it," he said.
Lavrov also stressed that Russia was concerned about the 'growing terrorist threat' on the African continent, claiming that Moscow was ready to provide assistance in bolstering 'defence capabilities' and 'anti-terrorist readiness' of African countries.
"Russia is seriously concerned about the growing terrorist threat in this part of the world. <...> We have a common interest in joining efforts to combat these threats. Russia is ready to assist Senegal and other African countries in strengthening their defence capabilities and improving the anti-terrorist readiness of their armed forces and special services," Lavrov said.
In turn, Yassine Fall claimed that Senegal had a 'neutral position' regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling for the 'beginning of negotiations'.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6 in an offensive described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'large-scale provocation'. A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9, while more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', with fighting ongoing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
We were ready to talk but after Kursk 'adventure', negotiations with Ukraine 'irrelevant' - Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region had made the idea of peace talks with Kiev 'irrelevant', during a press conference which followed a meeting with Senegalese Foreign Minister Yassine Fall in Moscow on Thursday.
"Our readiness to negotiate should not have caused anyone any doubts, although, of course, after the adventure in the Kursk region, any talks in this regard become irrelevant <...> These actions are obviously aimed at escalating the situation according to their terminology. Well, I am convinced that these plans are doomed to failure, I have no doubt about it," he said.
Lavrov also stressed that Russia was concerned about the 'growing terrorist threat' on the African continent, claiming that Moscow was ready to provide assistance in bolstering 'defence capabilities' and 'anti-terrorist readiness' of African countries.
"Russia is seriously concerned about the growing terrorist threat in this part of the world. <...> We have a common interest in joining efforts to combat these threats. Russia is ready to assist Senegal and other African countries in strengthening their defence capabilities and improving the anti-terrorist readiness of their armed forces and special services," Lavrov said.
In turn, Yassine Fall claimed that Senegal had a 'neutral position' regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling for the 'beginning of negotiations'.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6 in an offensive described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'large-scale provocation'. A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9, while more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', with fighting ongoing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region had made the idea of peace talks with Kiev 'irrelevant', during a press conference which followed a meeting with Senegalese Foreign Minister Yassine Fall in Moscow on Thursday.
"Our readiness to negotiate should not have caused anyone any doubts, although, of course, after the adventure in the Kursk region, any talks in this regard become irrelevant <...> These actions are obviously aimed at escalating the situation according to their terminology. Well, I am convinced that these plans are doomed to failure, I have no doubt about it," he said.
Lavrov also stressed that Russia was concerned about the 'growing terrorist threat' on the African continent, claiming that Moscow was ready to provide assistance in bolstering 'defence capabilities' and 'anti-terrorist readiness' of African countries.
"Russia is seriously concerned about the growing terrorist threat in this part of the world. <...> We have a common interest in joining efforts to combat these threats. Russia is ready to assist Senegal and other African countries in strengthening their defence capabilities and improving the anti-terrorist readiness of their armed forces and special services," Lavrov said.
In turn, Yassine Fall claimed that Senegal had a 'neutral position' regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling for the 'beginning of negotiations'.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6 in an offensive described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'large-scale provocation'. A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9, while more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', with fighting ongoing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.