Lavrov urged to prevent war with Ukraine in Donbass

As Lavrov said in an interview with RIA Novosti , the main thing for the Ukrainian side represented by President Volodymyr Zelensky is “to stay in power”. In this regard, Lavrov said that he was not ready to predict the possibility of war or to assess the situation based on the interests of Kiev.

“If it depends on us and on the militias, as far as we can understand their principled approaches, then war can and should be avoided,” Lavrov is quoted as saying by Kommersant .

Lavrov added that the outward signs of the Ukrainian leader's behavior indicate that "the main thing for him is to stay in power, and he is ready to pay any price, including indulging neo-Nazis and ultra-radicals who continue to declare the Donbass militias as terrorists."

The situation in southeastern Ukraine escalated in March this year, when the opposing sides began to bring each other mutual accusations of violating the ceasefire.

Against the background of the aggravation of the situation, Russia pulled troops to the Ukrainian border, which caused serious concern to NATO. At the same time, Russia reproached Ukraine for using prohibited types of weapons in the Donbas.

In anticipation of a possible war with Russia over the Donbass, about half a million of whose residents have managed to obtain Russian citizenship over the past 6 years, Zelensky signed a decree on the conscription of reservists into the Ukrainian army.

Meanwhile, at the highest level, the parties continue to exchange proposals for holding bilateral negotiations - both in Moscow or in the Donbass, and on neutral territory.

At the height of the conflict, it became known that Ukraine had purchased from Turkey a batch of attack combat drones similar to those used during the autumn war in Karabakh. The news about the supply of Turkish arms to Ukraine has caused discontent in Moscow. Explaining what is happening with the tightening of anti-epidemic measures in connection with the spread of coronavirus infection, Russia has banned its citizens from vacation flights to Turkey, which raised concerns about the possible bankruptcy of many Turkish hoteliers.