MOSCOW (AP) 鈥 Russia鈥檚 foreign minister on Thursday accused the West of becoming directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine by supplying it with weapons and training its soldiers.
Sergey Lavrov also said that Russia鈥檚 strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and other key infrastructure that have left millions without power, heating and water were intended to weaken Ukraine鈥檚 military potential and derail the shipments of Western weapons.
鈥淵ou shouldn't say that the U.S. and NATO aren鈥檛 taking part in this war, you are directly participating in it,鈥 Lavrov said in a video call with reporters. 鈥淎nd not just by providing weapons but also by training personnel. You are training their military on your territory, on the territories of Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries.鈥
He said that the barrage of Russian missile strikes was intended to 鈥渒nock out energy facilities that allow you to keep pumping deadly weapons into Ukraine in order to kill the Russians.鈥
鈥淭he infrastructure that is targeted by those attacks is used to ensure the combat potential of the Ukrainian armed forces and the nationalist battalions,鈥 Lavrov said.
Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of targeting key civilian infrastructure in order to reduce morale and force Ukraine into peace talks on Moscow's conditions.
Lavrov insisted that Moscow remains open for talks on ending the conflict. 鈥淲e never asked for talks but always said that we are ready to listen to those who are interested in a negotiated settlement,鈥 Lavrov said.
The Kremlin has urged Ukraine to acknowledge Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and recognize other land gains that Russia has made since sending its troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24. It also has continued to push for guarantees that Ukraine wouldn't join NATO, along with vaguely formulated 鈥渄emilitarization鈥 and 鈥渄enazification鈥 goals.
Asked if a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden is possible, Lavrov responded that 鈥渨e don鈥檛 shun contacts鈥 but added that 鈥渨e haven鈥檛 yet heard any serious ideas yet.鈥
Lavrov said that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has raised the issue of U.S. citizens imprisoned in Russia in a phone call, but noted that Putin and Biden agreed to set up a separate channel of communication between special services to discuss the issue when they met in Geneva in June 2021.
鈥淚t鈥檚 working and I hope that some results will be achieved,鈥 he added.
The Biden administration has been trying for months to negotiate the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American jailed in Russia, Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, including through a possible prisoner swap with Moscow.
Commenting on Russia's decision to postpone a round of nuclear arms control talks with the United States that was scheduled for this week, Lavrov argued that "it鈥檚 impossible to discuss strategic stability nowadays while ignoring everything that is happening in Ukraine.鈥
鈥淭he goal has been announced to defeat Russia on the battlefield or even destroy Russia,鈥 he said. 鈥淗ow can the goal of defeating Russia not bear significance for strategic stability, considering that they want to destroy a key strategic stability actor?鈥
During the online news conference that lasted for 2 1/2 hours, Lavrov ranted against the U.S. and its NATO allies, accusing them of trampling on international law while trying to isolate and destroy Russia.
He claimed that the U.S. has tried to discourage other countries, including India, from maintaining close ties with Russia, but those attempts have failed.
