OREANDA-NEWS If the West is really interested in holding negotiations on Ukraine, then it needs to abandon the "Zelensky formulas" and start an honest conversation. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, his words are reported by RIA Novosti.

"If the West is really interested, then it's not about the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky. We need to calmly, without any papers called the Zelensky formula, honestly start discussing the settlement of the conflict," the diplomat said.

Lavrov added that if the West seeks to normalize the situation in Europe, "from which the Europeans themselves are already moaning and suffering," then it is necessary to sit down at the negotiating table.

Earlier, Lavrov called Ukraine's demands to allow it to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russia blackmail. The Foreign Minister also noted that Western countries "in Russian, run into" an escalation of the conflict with Russia and do not seek to avoid it.