Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, following a meeting within the 3+3 regional platform on South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Türkiye, and Iran), told reporters yesterday that Zelenskyy’s “Victory Plan” reflects his intention to play on the West’s desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. “We will not accept any option for Ukraine to remain in a position when it is used by the West in order to impose direct threats to Russia. The realities on the ground will be considered as the West will advance its concepts, torn between supporting Zelenskyy and realizing the dead-end nature of this line,” Lavrov was quoted by TASS as replying to a question about the fact that Biden, in his Germany visit, will not meet with Zelenskyy. “Well, you see, the ‘Victory Plan’ comprises the essence of Zelenskyy’s desires. He wants to win. He wants to play on the fact that the West is still threatening to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the ground. That is the difference in the approach—purely psychological and political.”
“Our position is clear. No NATO membership, neutral status, solution of the problems of the Russian-speaking population, deprived of the right to do anything in its native language in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, and numerous conventions,” he said earlier. “The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is being destroyed—also in violation of the UN Charter and numerous conventions.”
In response to another question, Lavrov charged that Zelenskyy’s plan turns the Ukrainian army into a private military company at the service of Western interests. “Zelenskyy, in these points of his, spoke so veiledly about the economic side of the issue. According to the leaks, the secret annexes ... stipulate that he is ready to place all of Ukrainian natural resources under the management of his Western masters, hand over controls over them, effectively to sell Ukraine,” Sputnik quotes the foreign minister’s response. “According to the leaks, also accompanied by a secret annex, the Ukrainian army will be ready to defend Europe and deploy its soldiers under a contract ... maybe even replacing U.S. contingent that is already in Europe after it wins. So just, on the one hand, [Zelenskyy] sold all the land and the valuables that it holds, and on the other hand, offered up his country as a private military company.”
