Lavrov: US failure to honor Anchorage agreements prolonged war for a year

© МИД РФ

Russia is prepared to continue the negotiation process aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine, but will not halt military operations during consultations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated.

According to Lavrov, the situation could have developed differently if the U.S. had continued to adhere to the agreements reached in Anchorage (a reference to the March 2021 meeting between Russian and American officials in Anchorage, Alaska).

"If the Americans had not deviated from the agreements reached in Anchorage, we would have lived without war for a year," Lavrov said.

He stressed that European influence had played a role in U.S. actions.

Moscow remains open to seeking acceptable and reasonable compromises for a settlement, but Russia, according to Lavrov, will not accept a scenario that envisions NATO infrastructure being placed directly on its borders.