Lavrov says Putin discussed Ukraine's territorial issues with Trump in various formats
Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with Ultrahang, said that territorial issues in the context of resolving the war in Ukraine are allegedly being discussed in various formats, including with US President Donald Trump.
In response to questions from the journalist, Lavrov claimed that territorial issues are "all reflected in many discussions."
"President Putin addressed this issue regularly when he was asked by journalists, or when he meets with President Trump," Lavrov said.
In addition, Lavrov cynically claimed that Russia supposedly recognizes Ukraine's independence. He added that this does not apply to the regions that the Kremlin has already incorporated into Russia's "constitution." This includes not only the Donetsk, Luhansk regions, and the occupied Crimea, but also the territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that were temporarily occupied at the start of the war.
Specifically, when asked about Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Lavrov confirmed that Russia lays claim to these regions of Ukraine. In other words, Lavrov effectively acknowledged that Russia's territorial demands have not changed.
"They are also part of our 'Constitution'," the Russian minister said.
Earlier, during his visit to the US, Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev claimed that Russia was allegedly ready to discuss peace terms regarding Ukraine. The day before, Dmitriev said that the US, Ukraine, and Russia were supposedly "close to a diplomatic resolution" of the war.
On October 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again firmly rejected any idea of territorial exchange with Russian forces. He emphasized that Ukraine will not trade its territories for itself.
