“A lasting, just, and sustainable peace is only possible if the root causes of the conflict are eliminated,” Zakharova ratified in an article published by the Russian Foreign Ministry to mark the 4th anniversary of the start of the special military operation in Ukraine.
The spokeswoman emphasized that the current Russian diplomatic efforts, including contacts with the world’s majorities and the Russian-US talks, are precisely aimed at achieving the goal of ending confrontations.
The diplomat underscored that the Russian military action was a “forced step” launched “in strict accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which regulates the right to individual and collective self-defense.”
Zakharova also recalled that the West has ignored Russia’s security concerns, stemming from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s expansion toward its borders and the “publicly declared claims to possess nuclear weapons” made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference held in February 2022.
Moscow’s proposal to end the conflict stipulates that Kiev completely withdraw its troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson provinces, which joined Russia in 2022 following a referendum, and recognize these territories.
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