Russia: "If Ukraine Military Surrenders, Dialogue Possible... Will Respond to Western Retaliation" (Update)

"President Putin's Goal is the Demilitarization and Denazification of Ukraine," Claim States

On the 25th (local time), a woman who lived here is screaming in front of an apartment building in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, whose walls have been reduced to a pile of tattered debris after a rocket attack. The Russian military launched a full-scale invasion across the Ukrainian border the day before.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hye-young] Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged the Ukrainian forces to surrender on the 25th (local time), stating, "If they respond to our request and lay down their arms, we are ready to negotiate at any time."

According to AFP, Minister Lavrov made these remarks during a press conference held in Moscow on the same day.

Minister Lavrov explained, "President Putin decided to carry out a special military operation for the denazification of Ukraine so that Ukrainians can be liberated from oppression and freely determine their future."

AFP analyzed that this suggests Russia intends to overthrow the Ukrainian government through this invasion.

Minister Lavrov also emphasized, "No one intends to occupy Ukraine," adding, "President Putin's goal is the denazification and demilitarization of (Ukraine)."

He denied the Ukrainian government's claims that Russia attacked civilian facilities such as residential areas in Ukraine.

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, clearly expressed at a regular briefing on the same day that Russia would retaliate against Western sanctions imposed on Russia.

He stated, "It goes without saying that retaliatory measures will follow," adding, "Whether they will be symmetrical or asymmetrical depends on the analysis. We have not yet analyzed the (Western) sanctions."

He also claimed that even if Western sanctions are imposed, Russia can handle them without major problems as it has been preparing by reducing its dependence on imports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.