Russia Foreign Minister Lavrov Calls Zelenskyy’s Peace Plan ‘absurd’; Says No More Negotiations
Lavrov also stressed that negotiations with Zelenskyy were out of the question. “At least because he legally forbade negotiations with the Russian government,” Lavrov claimed.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, January 18, said that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy was putting forward absurd ideas of how to handle the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reported Russia-based news agency TASS. Lavrov was speaking at a press conference devoted to ‘Russian diplomacy in 2022’.
“Zelenskyy puts forward completely absurd initiatives, like a 10-point plan, where everything is piled up – food security, energy security, biological security, withdrawal of Russian troops from everywhere, Russia’s repentance, tribunal and condemnation,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov also stressed that negotiations with Zelenskyy were out of the question. “At least because he legally forbade negotiations with the Russian government,” Lavrov claimed.
While addressing the G20 summit in mid-November by video link, Zelenskyy had proposed a 10-point ‘peace plan’. He mentioned nuclear, food and energy security, the exchange of “held persons” according to the “all-for-all” formula, and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, reported TASS. The Ukrainian leader added that Kiev wished to see the establishment of an international mechanism to compensate for Ukraine’s losses from hostilities at the expense of Russian assets.
What is Zelenskky’s 10-point peace formula?
Zelenskyy first announced his peace formula at a November summit of the Group of 20 (G20) key economies. The plan summarises:
- Radiation and nuclear safety, focussing on restoring security around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, which is now occupied by Russian forces.
- Food security, including protecting and ensuring Ukraine’s grain exports to the world’s poorest nations
- Energy security, with a focus on price restrictions on Russian energy resources, as well as aiding Ukraine with restoring its power infrastructure, half of which has been damaged by Russian attacks.
- Release of all prisoners and deportees, including war prisoners and children deported to Russia.
- Restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Russia reaffirming it according to the UN Charter, which Zelenskyy said is “not up to negotiations”.
- Withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of Ukraine’s state borders with Russia.
- Justice, including the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes.
- The prevention of ecocide, and the protection of the environment, with a focus on demining and restoring water treatment facilities.
- Prevention of an escalation of conflict and building security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic space, including guarantees for Ukraine.
- Confirmation of the war’s end, including a document signed by the involved parties.
