Statements by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky show he wants to provoke a conflict between NATO and Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, TASS reports.
"I have a question: if he [Zelensky] is so upset that NATO did not stand up for him, as he had hoped, does it mean he relies on getting NATO involved in this whole story as a way of resolving the conflict, rather than negotiations," Lavrov said at a news conference on Saturday following his talks with Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev. "So, it means that he doesn’t hear the regular statements by Washington, Paris, Berlin and other capitals that NATO is not going to interfere in this conflict."
"And it means that he is seeking to provoke a conflict involving NATO, between NATO and Russia," Lavrov said.
Lavrov also drew attention to Zelensky's statements accusing the alliance of being inactive in the situation with Ukraine. According to the foreign minister, such rhetoric doesn’t add optimism in the issue of a Ukrainian settlement. "It is difficult to comment on the prospects for both the [third] round and the [Russian-Ukrainian] talks in general," Lavrov said. "But Mr. Zelensky’s constant, I would say, embittered statements do not add optimism."
"He exploded with invectives with respect to a NATO meeting and in general was a bit rude to his handlers, accusing them of inaction," the minister said.
He said that the Ukrainian leader demonstrates by his behavior that he doesn’t need negotiations with Russia, but Moscow is hoping for a change in his attitude. "Such a militaristic frenzy of his (Zelensky - TASS note), of course, suggests that he doesn’t need negotiations," Lavrov said. "But let's hope that today this mood can change, he is a man of moods. Let's hope."
