Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, stated that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is trying to obstruct the peace negotiation process regarding the Ukraine issue by saying, “Some NATO members do not share Rutte’s approach and have no intention to continue spending money to arm Ukraine.”

According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov held a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, following the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting. During the meeting, Lavrov expressed satisfaction with the results of the G20 meeting and stated that “Western attempts to Ukrainize the G20 agenda have failed.” He emphasized the importance of providing support to countries in need, mentioning that Ukraine has received hundreds of billions of dollars in military assistance. Lavrov added that these funds could have been spent on vital development aid programs, especially in Africa.

Accusing NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte of misusing his position, Lavrov said, “Rutte does not act like a public servant reflecting the consensus of all alliance members, but rather behaves like the leader of a powerful state. By visiting NATO countries, he demands blocking peace negotiations to prevent Russia from benefiting. According to our information, Rutte advises Zelenski to stay firm until negotiations, show no weakness, and not soften his position.” Sergey Lavrov criticized Rutte by stating that “some NATO members do not share his approach and have no intention of continuing spending money to arm Ukraine.”

Talking about Russia-US consultations, Lavrov mentioned that colleagues from Russia’s friendly countries welcomed the Russia-US consultations and clarified that they do not signify the end of disagreements between Russia and the West but rather a return to a normal process. Lavrov highlighted the pragmatic nature of the Trump administration’s policies by pointing out that the US did not participate in the preparation of a draft resolution against Russia regarding Ukraine at the UN General Assembly. Regarding the question about potential topics during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Lavrov mentioned that they are working on the topics and privacy is an integral part of any diplomatic preparation process.

Commenting on sanctions imposed on Russia by the West due to the war in Ukraine, Lavrov noted that they have not raised the issue of lifting these sanctions in consultations with the US about resolving the Ukraine issue. Lavrov also mentioned that Western companies could only be allowed to enter sectors in Russia that do not create risks for the Russian economy.