The date of the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine will be announced soon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, quoted by "Interfax", reports Focus.
“At the talks on May 16 in Istanbul, we insisted on the repeal of discriminatory laws restricting the use of the Russian language. We will continue to insist on this at the next round of direct talks, the date of which we will announce in the near future“, Lavrov said during the 13th International Meeting of Senior Security Representatives on Wednesday.
According to him, in addition to the issue of the Russian language, there is another “equally important“ reason for the conflict - Ukraine's aspirations for NATO membership. "I have repeatedly stated that the trigger for the conflict in Ukraine, as well as for the deep crisis in European security, is NATO's aggressive and ongoing expansion to the east," the minister stressed.
Lavrov added that in the context of NATO's growing influence, Russia is ready to respond to emerging threats. He recalled that "Ukraine's neutral status as a non-aligned and non-nuclear state" was solemnly proclaimed in the country's Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1991.
"It is precisely this commitment to neutrality and non-alignment that made international recognition of Ukraine possible, including by the Russian Federation," Lavrov concluded.