Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded to a reporter’s question Wednesday regarding Russia’s relationship with the United States while it continues to supply aid to Ukraine.
“We really are in a hot phase of the war, because Ukrainian Nazis are using American weapons, first and foremost. And the American administration keeps threatening to deliver longer-range and more deadly weapons systems," Lavrov said. "But nevertheless, I think we should continue to support our relations, and we hope that the Americans will wake up at once and return to the negotiating table. We'll see, we won't have to wait much longer."
Some background: Throughout the conflict Russian President Vladimir Putin has continuously framed his invasion of Ukraine – a country with a Jewish president – as a campaign of supposed “denazification,” a description dismissed by historians and political observers alike.
Last year, Lavrov – Putin’s top diplomat – sought to justify Moscow’s goal of “de-Nazifying” Ukraine by claiming Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood” and that “the most ardent anti-Semites are usually Jews.”Zelensky and Putin both met with neighboring countries' leaders. Here are the top headlines
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to neighboring Poland on Wednesday for an official visit to the country, one of its closest partners.
Meantime, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The leaders discussed weapons in Belarus, Ukraine's neighbor.
Lukashenko has also said he intensified talks with Putin about deploying both tactical and strategic — more powerful — nuclear weapons to deal with threats from Ukraine’s Western allies, who he claimed are planning a coup against him.
Here's what to know:
- Belarusian president in Moscow: Lukashenko and Putin began a two-day summit in Moscow discussing weapons in Belarus. Putin said last month that Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in the neighboring country. He said Moscow had already transferred an Iskander short-range missile system, a device that can be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, to Belarus. Lukashenko's Ukraine “peace proposal” will also likely be discussed during meetings with Putin, a Kremlin spokesperson said.
- Zelensky in Poland: Zelenksy is in Poland to sign bilateral agreements and hold an economic forum with Polish President Andrzej Duda. The Polish president said he supports Ukraine's "pursuit of EU and NATO membership" and announced that Poland is delivering four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, in addition to four it has given in recent months. European leaders in Beijing: Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are on a three-day visit to Beijing.