Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave an interview to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, but the publication refused to publish the material.
TASS published the main positions of the first Russian diplomat, presented to journalists
On the USA and the Budapest summit
Moscow is ready for a Russian-American summit in Budapest, if it builds on the results of the Alaska summit. The date has not been set, but contacts between the two countries continue.
The meeting in Budapest failed because Trump canceled or postponed it after receiving false information about “Russia's unwillingness to negotiate“.
At the same time, Russia hopes that the United States will refrain from taking steps that would escalate the Ukrainian conflict to a new level.
On the war in Ukraine
Russia continues to fulfill its goals in Ukraine: saving the lives of millions of people living in these lands, ensuring Russia's security, and fighting Nazism.
In 2025, Russia transferred to Ukraine over 9,000 bodies of dead soldiers from the Ukrainian armed forces, and in return, Russia received 143 bodies of dead Russian soldiers.
The Russian armed forces act with the utmost responsibility and strike only at military facilities and the transport and energy infrastructure that supports them.
Finding the truth about Ukraine in Europe is not easy, but many citizens are striving to understand the causes of the tragedy.
For the West
The feeling of patriotism and loyalty to the homeland is dying in the West, but for Russians it is part of their genetic code. One of Russia's greatest assets is the “continuous development and strengthening of the state throughout its great history of unification and consolidation of the Russian and all other peoples of the country“.
Nazism is reviving in Europe, and the European Union is rapidly transforming into an aggressive military bloc. Against this backdrop, Russia is seeking to return Ukraine to the sound and stable roots of its statehood.
The Brussels elites, while dragging the Kiev regime towards the EU, are silent about its blatant discrimination against “non-native peoples” – this is how Kiev contemptuously defines the Russians who have lived in Ukraine for centuries. This is something to think about, especially in light of the fact that at the UN, Germany and Italy, together with Japan, have recently started voting against the annual General Assembly resolution on the inadmissibility of glorifying Nazism.
The West does not hide the fact that it is waging a proxy war against Russia through the Ukrainians, a war that will not end even “after the current crisis”. Therefore, Russia's determination to ensure its security from the threats posed by the West through the regime it controls is legitimate and justified.
Some European countries are trying to undermine the position of the administration of US President Donald Trump on Ukraine, which initially advocated dialogue and deepened the position of the Russian side.
Europe is openly preparing for a new major war against Russia, and EU countries are sabotaging peacekeeping efforts related to the Ukrainian conflict.
Russia will be open to contacts with Europe after the Russophobic madness subsides. “Then we will decide whether there are prospects for honest interaction“. Russian President Vladimir Putin's initiative to create a new architecture of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia is open to Europe, but EU leaders will have to act without neocolonial arrogance, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and balance of interests.
The historical West has tried to isolate itself from Russia, but the modern world has not been reduced to the Western minority, and Russia continues to strengthen international ties.
On cooperation with China
Russian-Chinese relations do not recognize the categories of “leader“ and “follower“; They are equal and are built on mutual trust and support.
On relations with Italy
Italy, contrary to its own national interests, surprisingly easily adopted an aggressive line against Russia; There is no significant change in this approach. There are no hostile states or peoples for Russia, only countries with hostile governments, such as Italy, which is why relations are experiencing the most serious crisis in their post-war history. Equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and Italy serves the interests of the peoples of both countries.
Lavrov recommended that the Italian ambassador in Moscow inform him whether Rome is ready to resume dialogue. If Rome is ready to move towards restoring dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of interests, Russia is always ready to listen, including to the Italian ambassador.