Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow would not allow Russian-speakers in Ukraine to remain under the rule of what he called a “junta” led by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Lavrov said it would be a “crime” for Russia to allow this to happen. He added that the simplest way to settle the conflict would be for the international community to demand that Ukraine cancel laws discriminating against Russian-speakers.
Kyiv denies any such discrimination.
Lavrov’s comments highlighted Russia’s insistence, in any peace talks, on enforcing the same demands it made at the very start of the war.
Lavrov also questioned the suggestion that Russia-Ukraine talks could take place in the Vatican.
He argued that it would not be “an elegant solution” for two Orthodox countries to talk in a Catholic location, Reuters just reported.
“It would be a bit inelegant for Orthodox countries to discuss on Catholic ground issues related to eliminating root causes [of the conflict)]” Lavrov said, quoted by AFP.
He also accused Kyiv of “destroying” the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and added: “For the Vatican itself it would not be very comfortable to, in these circumstances, host delegations from Orthodox countries.”
Trump says Russia, Ukraine completed ‘major’ prisoners swap
US president Donald Trump meanwhile revealed that “a major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine.”
“It will go into effect shortly. Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation,” he said.
Via AFP /Reuters
Malta Public Transport has launched its Back to School campaign, offering eligible students the opportunity to register for a personalised Tallinja card free of charge, including postage...
Uber Technologies will cut 3,300 jobs, or roughly 10% of its global workforce, as part of an overhaul, as it looks to reduce the number of managers, the company said on Wednesday.
...
Updated 1200
Fiscal Council Warns Malta’s Deficit Could Exceed Government Forecast: The Malta Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that Malta’s public finances face a heightened risk of...
Updated 1200
Malta Economy Shows Modest July Improvement as Tourism and Lending Support Growth: Malta’s economic activity improved slightly in July but remained marginally below its l...
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
Malta Public Transport has launched its Back to School campaign, offering eligible students the opportunity to register for a personalised Tallinja card free of charge, including postage...
Uber Technologies will cut 3,300 jobs, or roughly 10% of its global workforce, as part of an overhaul, as it looks to reduce the number of managers, the company said on Wednesday.
...
Artificial intelligence has already transformed industries such as finance and education, but one of its most important tests may come in medicine: discovering new drugs.
Pharmaceutic...
Malta’s new pay transparency regulations, which came into effect on the 5th of June, aim to strengthen fairness and equality in the workplace, but employers are warning that the rushed i...
Malta Public Transport has launched its Back to School campaign, offering eligible students the opportunity to register for a personalised Tallinja card free of charge, including postage...
The autonomous bus project in Gozo commenced its public testing phase after the completion of the commissioning phase, marking another important milestone in the rollout of this innovati...
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
Gulf states have backed a proposal aimed at reducing disruption to global oil trade by allowing Iran to collect voluntary fees from ships using the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources...
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
Ukraine wants peace but will not just give in to Russia at any price, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday in a defiant speech marking Independence Day celebrations.
British...
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the...
