Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that the conflict in Ukraine must be reliably settled by eliminating all of its root causes.
Speaking at a joint press conference, Lavrov said he informed his visiting counterpart, Foreign Minister of East Timor Bendito Freitas, about the latest developments surrounding Ukraine. Lavrov stressed the necessity of reaching a durable resolution to the crisis by addressing its well-known core causes, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Freitas was in Moscow for bilateral diplomatic talks with Russian officials. East Timor, officially known as the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia located on the eastern half of the island of Timor. Lavrov has served as Russia's minister of foreign affairs since 2004, overseeing Moscow's diplomatic engagements across Asia and worldwide.
Kremlin Warns European Nations Over Involvement
The Russian foreign minister's remarks followed earlier statements made by Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Peskov stated that the vast majority of European countries have become involved in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of Kyiv.
The Kremlin spokesman emphasized that the direct participation of European states in the war will inevitably lead to response measures from Russia. Peskov serves as the primary spokesperson for the Kremlin and the Presidential Executive Office, which handles communications for President Putin from the official presidential residence in Moscow.
Moscow has consistently asserted that security in Europe cannot be separated from Russia's national security interests. Russian diplomats have repeatedly called for international recognition of Moscow's position regarding NATO expansion and regional military presence, maintaining that lasting peace requires addressing the underlying geopolitical friction between Russia and Western institutions.
RIA Novosti, which carried Lavrov's comments from the press conference, is one of Russia's primary state-operated news outlets. Headquartered in Moscow, the agency regularly releases statements from top government leaders, including foreign ministry officials and Kremlin representatives.
