Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was asked to comment, at a May 18 joint press conference with visiting Ugandan Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo, about the peace initiative by six African nations announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this week, and the statements in response by US officials that the initiative would only be welcome if it adhered to President Zelensky’s peace plan (which demands Russia’s unconditional surrender).
On the U.S. response, Lavrov replied: “I think the US is not ready for any constructive action on a settlement in Ukraine either now or in the foreseeable future. The US has been creating this situation for many years in the context of its strategic policy on countering the objective formation of a multipolar world, preserving its hegemony and subordinating everyone to its will. It is using Ukraine as an obedient tool while pursuing this policy.”
