Russia's foreign minister has rejected a reported peace deal involving Ukraine and NATO, claiming the proposal was made by advisers to President-elect Trump.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the comments in an interview with Russian state news agency TASS on Monday. Lavrov claimed in the interview that the United States plans to “cease hostilities along the line of contact and shift responsibility for the conflict with Russia to the European side.”
“Of course we are not satisfied with the proposals by members of the Trump team to postpone Ukraine's membership in NATO for 20 years and to station British and European peacekeepers in Ukraine,” he said. has not been realized. announced by American officials.
Lavrov said the proposal came through “leaks” and Trump's recent interview with Time magazine, which did not include any mention of NATO. The foreign minister also claimed that NATO “has expanded its scope over the years, which became one of the main causes of the Ukraine crisis.”
US imposes sanctions on companies involved in Nord Stream 2 to clamp down on Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected a Ukraine peace deal reportedly proposed by the Trump campaign. (Getty Images)
“Those who criticize Russia's various actions should instead be advised to look in the mirror,” the foreign minister later said in an interview. “NATO forces and mercenaries openly participate in combat operations and combat planning on the part of the Ukrainian military.”
Foreign Minister Lavrov also stated that “NATO is complicit in the invasion of the Kursk region and long-range missile attacks on Russian soil.'' “President Vladimir Putin has made this very clear in his recent public statements.”
In an interview with Time magazine's Person of the Year, President Trump said ending the Russo-Ukrainian war would be a “win-win” and claimed that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he were president in 2022.
Ukrainian officials praise Russian General Igor Kirillov after he is killed by explosives in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual year-end press conference in Moscow on December 19, 2024. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
“I vehemently oppose sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why would you do that?” Trump said at the time. “We are only escalating this war and making it worse…[but] I want to reach an agreement, and the only way to reach an agreement is to not waive it. ”
Lavrov's latest interview came more than a week after the Russian president Vladimir Putin Although he expressed a willingness to compromise with President Trump, he insisted that Russia would be in a stronger position than it was in 2022.
“Soon there will be no Ukrainians who want to fight. In my opinion, very soon no one will want to fight,” Putin was quoted as saying. “We are ready, but the other side also needs to be ready to both negotiate and compromise.”
“We have always said we are willing to negotiate and compromise.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump smiles at Turning Point USA's America Fest held at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Trump's team for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Reuters contributed to this report.
