Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told President Vladimir Putin that there was a "chance" of reaching an agreement on security with the West, in what appeared to be a possible climbdown amid raging tensions over Ukraine.
"As head of the foreign ministry, I must say that there is always a chance" to find agreement, Lavrov told Putin during a carefully choreographed meeting when asked to comment on ongoing talks with the West.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin
(Photo: AP)
The United States has warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, and their Western allies have threatened a crippling package of economic sanctions in response.
But speaking to Putin, Lavrov indicated that Moscow was prepared to continue talks with the West.
"Is there a chance to reach an agreement with our partners on key issues or is it an attempt to drag us into an endless negotiation process?" Putin asked Lavrov in televised remarks.
Lavrov replied: "We have already warned more than once that we will not allow endless negotiations on questions that demand a solution today. Our possibilities are far from being exhausted, they certainly should not continue indefinitely, but I would suggest continuing and ramping them up."
He pointed out that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was set to arrive in Moscow for talks Tuesday.
Moscow, which has massed more than 100,000 troops near Russia's border with Ukraine, has repeatedly denied any plans to invade and has accused the United States and its allies of stirring hysteria.
Lavrov said he had received "unsatisfactory" responses to a letter he sent to dozens of European Union and NATO members on the issue of "indivisible security" — a reference to Russia's complaint that Ukraine and Western countries are strengthening their security at Russia's expense and that this is in breach of international agreements.
"I received unsatisfactory answers, none of my fellow ministers responded to my direct message," he said. "Therefore we will continue to seek a concrete reaction from each country."