According to a Russian minister, the West is attempting to sink the country. Russia-Ukraine talks are marred by ‘hysteria’ over Bucharest

*Paromita Das

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of attempting to derail Russia-Ukraine talks by fomenting “hysteria” over alleged war crimes committed by Moscow’s forces.

According to Kyiv and the West, there is evidence that Russia committed war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, including images and witness testimony gathered by Reuters and other media organizations. Moscow has denied the charge, calling it a “monstrous forgery.”

Without providing evidence, Lavrov stated that Moscow believed the accusations were timed to derail the negotiating process following what he described as progress when Ukrainian and Russian representatives met in Turkey last week.
“We are inclined to believe the reason is a desire to find a pretext to break off the ongoing negotiations,” he said in a video released by Russia’s foreign ministry.

Lavrov said Moscow was still insisting on demilitarisation and “denazification” of Ukraine, as well as protection for Russian speakers there, despite Kyiv’s denial that these were real issues after nearly six weeks of war.

Ukraine and Western governments claim that President Vladimir Putin’s demands, made at the start of Russia’s invasion, were a ruse to justify an illegal assault on a democratic country.
Lavrov claimed, again without providing evidence, that Ukraine “tried to break off the negotiating process entirely” after Western media reported on the alleged war crimes.