Russia says waiting for Ukraine to regain its borders by 2022 would be "political blindness."

BarcelonaRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has made it clear that the Kremlin has no intention of negotiating the return of occupied territories to Ukraine in any peace talks. "No one expects Ukraine to return to its borders by 2022. That would be political blindness," he said during a press conference following his address to the United Nations General Assembly. He said this just days after the US president, in a change of position, Donald Trump claims that Kiev has a chance of recovering all the occupied territory. since the start of the war.

Lavrov addressed the UN General Assembly in the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he repeated the Kremlin leader's usual messages and based much of his speech on criticizing the "West," which he referred to almost throughout as a blog and accused of trying to impose its hegemony "by force" and of constantly violating the national sovereignty of states and the principle of non-interference.

Lavrov insisted that Russia remains open to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, provided that these talks are based on "eliminating the causes of the conflict," among which he once again singled out NATO's eastward expansion. He added that Moscow is prepared to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, but added that "so far, Kiev and its European partners seem not to realize the seriousness of the situation or to have no will to negotiate honestly."

He criticized that "there are more and more threats of the use of force against Russia" and that it is accused of "almost planning an attack against NATO and EU countries", which he called "provocations". He assured that Russia "has never had any intention" of doing so, but warned: "Any aggression against my country will receive a forceful response. There should be no doubt about it."

He said this after, in recent weeks, the incursions with drones or aircraft into airspace from several European countries, and that most of their leaders have pointed the finger at Moscow and its hybrid war against Europe.

This Saturday, Danish authorities reported that last night there were new drone sightings over military facilities in the Scandinavian country, following several drone incursions over the country's airports this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Kremlin is testing Europe's ability to protect its skies and predicted that Russia is preparing to attack another country. "Putin will not wait to end his war in Ukraine. He will open some other door. Nobody knows where," he said at a press conference in Kiev after returning from the United States.

Hopes for the Trump administration

Sergei Lavrov expressed confidence in the improvement of diplomatic relations with the United States, despite the recent harsher remarks by Donald Trump against Putin. "We have some hope for the continuation of dialogue with the United States, especially after the summit in Alaska," Lavrov said, noting that the US government appears eager to achieve a "realistic resolution" to the conflict in Ukraine and to develop "pragmatic cooperation without adopting ideological positions."

Lavrov stressed that Russia and the United States have a "special responsibility" to "avoid risks that could plunge humanity into a new war."

Against Israel and the sanctions on Iran

Lavrov also attacked Israel, saying there is "no justification for the brutal murder of civilians" or for plans to annex the West Bank. Lavrov referred to the recognition of the Palestinian state by several states in recent days, but criticized their lateness: "It seemed as if they expected that by the time the General Assembly was convened, there would be nothing left to recognize."

He also considered the sanctions imposed by European countries against Iran for its nuclear program to be "illegal" and "unacceptable," and asserted that the essence of this sanctions policy—of which Russia is also a victim—is always the same: "Suppressing and intimidating competitors in the economy and politics."