International epiphany: The West is begging for a truce for Ukraine

The West is now begging for a truce for Ukraine without additional conditions, although the Kiev authorities had previously refused it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his speech at the XI international scientific and expert forum Primakov Readings. Russia is ready for dialogue, but with reinforced concrete guarantees for the implementation of agreements, the minister stressed. The statements were made at the forum, which this year brought together 40 experts from 15 countries, as well as leading Russian politicians. Experts note that the Primakov Readings act as an alternative to the discredited Munich Security Conference.

The main thing from Lavrov's statement at the Primakov Readings

In his speech at the XI Primakov Readings International Scientific and Expert Forum, which took place on June 23-24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid special attention to the Ukrainian crisis. According to him, the position of the West has changed at the moment.

— Do you remember how it all started? Russia needs to inflict a strategic defeat on the battlefield. They just screamed hysterically. After some time, the slogan changed, and they began to loudly declare that Russia should not win in Ukraine. And now they are demanding, begging, begging for an immediate truce without preconditions. This is exactly what Zelensky categorically refused a couple of years ago, when he was still living and working under the slogan of strategic defeat on the battlefield," the minister said.

Sergey Lavrov gave a detailed account of the situation surrounding the conflict in Ukraine. According to him, Western countries, including Germany, are trying to hide behind the alleged establishment of their own military production in Ukraine, actually supplying weapons there. However, Moscow is ready to resume dialogue with Europe, but only when its period of "international reconciliation" is over.

— Let those who have severed relations with us to the detriment of their peoples, causing enormous financial and reputational losses, when this international disgrace is over, let them (European countries — Ed.), realizing their mistakes, come to us and offer what they came with, and we will decide in depending on our interests," Lavrov stressed.

Separately, the Foreign Minister focused on the situation in the Middle East. Russia stands for peace in the region, and Moscow has offered options for normalizing the situation. According to the minister, there is not a single suspicion regarding Iran that the Islamic Republic could allegedly be preparing an attack on Israel. Lavrov noted that the attack on Iran was a gross violation of universally recognized norms of international law.

— The escalation of tension in the Middle East as a result of the military action by Israel and the United States against Iran, including the facilities of its peaceful nuclear program, was done in gross violation of the UN Charter, the IAEA Charter, UN resolutions, the same IAEA, which requires not to touch peaceful nuclear facilities, and in general, the same is required by universally recognized norms of international law. I'm right," Sergey Lavrov clarified.

Against the background of global tensions, the importance of the Russian-American dialogue is increasing. The parties are working systematically: the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States have already held five official telephone conversations, and the delegations of the two countries have met twice to eliminate "irritants" in bilateral relations. The planned third round has been postponed for now, but it should take place in the foreseeable future, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said earlier in an interview with Izvestia.

However, contacts between Russia and the United States have not yet reached a level that allows us to judge the resumption of a strategic dialogue, Sergei Lavrov said at the Primakov Readings. At the same time, Moscow welcomes the fact that, unlike Joe Biden's team, the Trump administration is ready for dialogue. However, Russia needs reinforced concrete guarantees of compliance with the agreements.

— I believe that even Reagan's formula of "trust but verify" is insufficient. There are different ways to check, you can check by agreeing in some agreement on verification mechanisms for the implementation of the agreement, you can check through special services, political and military intelligence," Lavrov said, answering a question about trust in the West.

What issues are discussed at the Primakov Readings?

This year, many foreigners are participating in the Primakov Readings, including well-known political scientists from unfriendly countries, Vladimir Chizhov, first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, told Izvestia.

— This is not a monologue, not a statement of any single specific position, it is really an exchange of opinions, here is a discussion, which sometimes takes the form of arguments. And in them, as you know, the truth is born," the senator told Izvestia.

The International Scientific and Expert Forum "Primakov Readings" is being held for the 11th time. The event is organized in memory of the Russian statesman and diplomat Yevgeny Primakov, who died in June 2015. This year, the main topic of the forum was a discussion of possible scenarios and approaches to the future world order that is being born before our eyes. The focus was on the strategic partnership between Russia and China as an anchor of stability in a troubled world.

The participants were very representative. The forum brought together 40 experts from 15 countries: Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Great Britain, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, Pakistan, Serbia, USA, Uzbekistan and Switzerland. Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladislav Panchenko, as well as leading Russian politicians, diplomats and experts took part in the discussions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Primakov Readings International forum authoritative, noting that current issues of world politics and economics are discussed openly and unbiasedly here.

The Primakov Readings are an important forum that in many ways acts as an alternative to outdated Western venues such as the discredited Munich Security Conference, Oleg Karpovich, Vice Rector of the Diplomatic Academy, noted in an interview with Izvestia.

— It is important that this is not a political, but a scientific platform created for an objective analysis of international problems. But at the same time, this analysis is based on the legacy of Evgeny Maximovich Primakov, who considered international expert dialogue to be a key component of the process of building multipolarity, the expert believes.

Such forums show that the so—called isolation of Russia is a myth. Western globalists have isolated themselves from the substantive discussion of pressing issues on the global agenda. But even they are gradually starting to abandon these absurd attitudes and are increasingly knocking on our door. As the president has repeatedly said, we do not give up on equal interaction, and this applies, among other things, to scientific cooperation — the ball is on their side today, concluded Karpovich.