Russia Never Aimed to Conquer Ukraine, but West and Zelensky Dragged Us Into Hostilities - Medinsky

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia never had a goal to conquer whole of Ukraine, but its President Volodymyr Zelensky and the West dragged Moscow and Kiev into hostilities, Vladimir Medinsky, who lead a Russian delegation during negotiations with Ukraine in spring 2022, said on Tuesday.

“Russia never set the goal of conquering Ukraine. The West and Zelensky dragged our countries into full-fledged military action,” Medinsky told reporters, adding that Russians and Ukrainians are one people with common past and future, but Zelensky does not want peace.

During 2022 talks, Russia’s goal was to ensure protection of Russian-speaking people in Donbas and the recognition of independence of two Donbas republics.

“The demand for Ukraine’s neutrality and non-entry into NATO was very important, but I will emphasize that in addition to this, recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea was an unconditional demand on our part,” Medinsky said, adding that Zelensky could have saved lives of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers by signing the peace treaty in April 2022.

According to Medinsky, UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, heads of US State Department and Department of Defense, as well as other “advisers” arrived in Kiev in 2022 and recommended Kiev not to sing the treaty with Moscow. Ukrainian authorities themselves admit that they are controlled from outside, the former Russian negotiation added.

Signing a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine is possible if all goals of Moscow’s special military operation are achieved, Medinsky emphasized.

"If all tasks and goals of the special military operation are achieved," the official told reporters, when asked on what terms it is possible for Moscow to sign a peace treaty with Kiev.

Russia never refused negotiations with Ukraine, Medinsky added.