Lavrov says EU calls for Ukraine ceasefire seek to give Kyiv ‘breather to restore combat potential’

Addressing the 4th Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security in the Belarusian capital, Lavrov said the EU’s “lamentations” are not aimed at achieving peace.

“All this wailing is aimed solely at giving Kyiv a breather to restore its combat potential,” Lavrov said, renewing Moscow’s demand for an elimination of the conflict’s “root causes.”

Lavrov said the UK and France, with their calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine, are seeking to prolong the ongoing war, accusing the EU of evolving into an “aggressive, militaristic” bloc with “anti-Russian and anti-Belarusian leanings.”

“In inviting partners to collaborate on a Eurasian (security) architecture, we have never closed the door to the western part of the continent, nor will we shy away from engaging with those who abandon hostile intentions and demonstrate a genuine interest in – and a commitment to – reaching an equitable balance of interests,” Lavrov added.

He described the state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as “deplorable” due to the West's “confrontational” approach.

“Does an organization whose history symbolizes the failure of the Euro-Atlantic security model have a future? This model, rooted in the illusions of the late Cold War, requires a deep, fundamental overhaul if it is to remain afloat,” Lavrov said.

He argued that Japan is pursuing “accelerated militarization,” and actively discussing the possibility of abandoning its three non-nuclear principles adopted after the end of World War II.

Lavrov arrived in Minsk late Monday after concluding a visit to the US, where he attended a ministerial meeting of the G20 on Oct. 30-31 in Atlanta, Georgia.