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Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia does 'not discuss its territory with anyone', during an interview with Russian media. This statement was in response to comments made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stated that Kiev 'needs' its Kursk operation 'to replenish the exchange fund'.
"Zelensky sometimes makes Freudian slips when he speaks. He said they’d need this for future exchanges, that he’d capture [war] prisoners and square kilometres,” Lavrov said while speaking to the press in Moscow.
“He says it in such a simple-minded, naive way. We do not discuss our territory and we do not negotiate our territory with anyone," the diplomat continued.
Meanwhile, Lavrov said that he found it difficult to understand the motive behind the sudden incursion into Russian territory.
"As for the purpose of those who organised the provocation in the Kursk region, the invasion of Nazi units with a large number of mercenaries, by the way, and maybe not mercenaries, but regular military personnel. <...> It's hard for me to judge what the idea was in this situation because our Western colleagues have very sophisticated brains. They sometimes twist everything in their own way," he said.
The minister added that he believes the West is only 'using' Ukraine 'to hurt' Russia.
"Every time the West has proved that they need Ukraine only to hurt, as they believe, Russia, to annoy Russia, to fight against Russia. And for nothing else. That’s why the West doesn’t need all these agreements. But every time when the agreed documents were sabotaged, Ukraine lost more and more,” he said.
In conclusion, Lavrov claimed Russia is currently not open to discussing ’any negotiations’ with Ukraine.
Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk on August 6. Putin called it a 'large-scale provocation', accusing Kiev of "firing indiscriminately using various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances." Ukraine has previously denied targeting civilians during the ongoing conflict.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said that Kiev's use of Washington's military equipment for the attack was 'not in violation of our policy'.
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 don’t discuss our territory with anyone' - Lavrov after Zelensky says Kiev 'needs' Kursk op 'to replenish exchange fund'
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia does 'not discuss its territory with anyone', during an interview with Russian media. This statement was in response to comments made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stated that Kiev 'needs' its Kursk operation 'to replenish the exchange fund'.
"Zelensky sometimes makes Freudian slips when he speaks. He said they’d need this for future exchanges, that he’d capture [war] prisoners and square kilometres,” Lavrov said while speaking to the press in Moscow.
“He says it in such a simple-minded, naive way. We do not discuss our territory and we do not negotiate our territory with anyone," the diplomat continued.
Meanwhile, Lavrov said that he found it difficult to understand the motive behind the sudden incursion into Russian territory.
"As for the purpose of those who organised the provocation in the Kursk region, the invasion of Nazi units with a large number of mercenaries, by the way, and maybe not mercenaries, but regular military personnel. <...> It's hard for me to judge what the idea was in this situation because our Western colleagues have very sophisticated brains. They sometimes twist everything in their own way," he said.
The minister added that he believes the West is only 'using' Ukraine 'to hurt' Russia.
"Every time the West has proved that they need Ukraine only to hurt, as they believe, Russia, to annoy Russia, to fight against Russia. And for nothing else. That’s why the West doesn’t need all these agreements. But every time when the agreed documents were sabotaged, Ukraine lost more and more,” he said.
In conclusion, Lavrov claimed Russia is currently not open to discussing ’any negotiations’ with Ukraine.
Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk on August 6. Putin called it a 'large-scale provocation', accusing Kiev of "firing indiscriminately using various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances." Ukraine has previously denied targeting civilians during the ongoing conflict.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said that Kiev's use of Washington's military equipment for the attack was 'not in violation of our policy'.
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.
No access EU media/EU territory. For further info please contact Client Service
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia does 'not discuss its territory with anyone', during an interview with Russian media. This statement was in response to comments made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stated that Kiev 'needs' its Kursk operation 'to replenish the exchange fund'.
"Zelensky sometimes makes Freudian slips when he speaks. He said they’d need this for future exchanges, that he’d capture [war] prisoners and square kilometres,” Lavrov said while speaking to the press in Moscow.
“He says it in such a simple-minded, naive way. We do not discuss our territory and we do not negotiate our territory with anyone," the diplomat continued.
Meanwhile, Lavrov said that he found it difficult to understand the motive behind the sudden incursion into Russian territory.
"As for the purpose of those who organised the provocation in the Kursk region, the invasion of Nazi units with a large number of mercenaries, by the way, and maybe not mercenaries, but regular military personnel. <...> It's hard for me to judge what the idea was in this situation because our Western colleagues have very sophisticated brains. They sometimes twist everything in their own way," he said.
The minister added that he believes the West is only 'using' Ukraine 'to hurt' Russia.
"Every time the West has proved that they need Ukraine only to hurt, as they believe, Russia, to annoy Russia, to fight against Russia. And for nothing else. That’s why the West doesn’t need all these agreements. But every time when the agreed documents were sabotaged, Ukraine lost more and more,” he said.
In conclusion, Lavrov claimed Russia is currently not open to discussing ’any negotiations’ with Ukraine.
Ukraine launched the offensive into Kursk on August 6. Putin called it a 'large-scale provocation', accusing Kiev of "firing indiscriminately using various types of weapons, including missiles, at civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances." Ukraine has previously denied targeting civilians during the ongoing conflict.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said that Kiev's use of Washington's military equipment for the attack was 'not in violation of our policy'.
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.