Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that Moscow was open to negotiations on ending the war against Ukraine but would only halt fighting when a peace settlement "suits" its interests.
Lavrov, speaking in Turkey on the war's third anniversary, claimed Russia was engaging with the United States on a peace settlement, while accusing Europe of seeking to prolong the conflict.
He said Moscow was ready to negotiate with Ukraine, Europe or "any representatives who in good faith would like to help achieve peace."
"But we will stop hostilities only when these negotiations produce a firm and sustainable result that suits the Russian Federation," Lavrov told reporters alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Lavrov also urged the United States to appoint a representative for potential peace talks with Russia, following what he described as "positive" discussions in Saudi Arabia last week with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other White House officials.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday accused Europe of obstructing a resolution to the war, contrasting it with what he called ongoing efforts with Washington.
"The Europeans continue on the path of a sanctions nosedive, on the path of conviction in the need to continue the war," Peskov said after the EU imposed a new round of sanctions on Moscow.
"This conviction of the Europeans completely contrasts with the mindset of finding a settlement on Ukraine, which we are now doing with the Americans," he added.
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