MOSCOW, October 30. /TASS/: The current situation around Ukraine is similar to the period of the Cuban Missile Crisis, as we are talking about direct threats to Russia's security right on the country’s borders, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview for the film 'A World on the Verge. Lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis', which was published on Sunday on the ministry’s website.
When asked how similar the situation of the times of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the current situation around Ukraine were, the minister stressed that "there are similarities."
"Both in 1962 and now we are talking about creating direct threats to Russia's security right on our borders. Today it is even closer than the Jupiters (medium-range ballistic missiles - TASS) located in Turkey. There is a military campaign to pump Ukraine with all kinds of weapons," the top diplomat pointed out.
Russia does not yet see the willingness of the US and its satellites to show responsibility and wisdom to resolve the situation around Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister said. Commenting on the similarities between the situation of the period of the Caribbean crisis and the current situation around Ukraine, the minister also pointed out the differences.
"The difference is that back in 1962, [Soviet leader Nikita] Khrushchev and [US President John] Kennedy found the strength to show responsibility and wisdom, and now from Washington and its satellites we do not yet see such willingness. There are plenty of examples. To begin with, the chance for negotiations that presented itself in late March at the meeting in Istanbul was ruined, as we can now assert, on direct orders from Washington," Lavrov stressed.
Russia is always ready to listen to its Western colleagues if they offer to organize a conversation on detente taking into account Moscow's interests, Sergey Lavrov said.
"We are always ready to listen to our Western colleagues if they make another request to organize a conversation. I hope that in addition to reproducing contacts through diplomatic departments <..>, they will be able to offer some serious approaches that will contribute to de-escalating tensions and fully take into account the interests of the Russian Federation and its security," he said.
"The readiness of Russia, including its president, to negotiate [on Ukraine], it remains unchanged. We will always be ready to listen to what proposals our Western partners have to de-escalate tensions, so if we are approached with some realistic proposals based on the principles of equality and respect for each other's interests, aimed at finding compromises and balancing the interests of all countries, of course we will react, as it has always been in the past," Lavrov said.
