“Neither the US nor the UK is advising Zelensky to speed up negotiations.
They recommend toughening their position, ”RIA Novosti quotes him.
Lavrov noted that the Ukrainian side refused to sign the theses proposed in Istanbul, which was a big step back in the negotiation process.
“I think that this step back was made on the advice of our American and British colleagues, first of all,” the minister said.
At the same time, Lavrov said that the situation around Ukraine would end with an agreement, the parameters of which would be determined by the development of hostilities.
He also said that the statements of Ukrainian representatives, including Zelensky and his advisers, suggest that Kyiv does not need negotiations.