Russian FM accuses West of contributing to Ukraine crisis

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference on the performance of Russian diplomacy in 2022 in Moscow on Jan. 18, 2023. (Russian Foreign Ministry)

Lavrov said that the West has staked a great deal on its war against Russia.

MOSCOW, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that the Ukraine crisis is "the result of preparations by the United States and its satellites for the start of a global hybrid war" against his country.

The West is trying to prove that they are not fighting Russia but are only helping Ukraine respond to an "aggression" and restore its territorial integrity, Lavrov said at his annual press conference, adding that the scale of their support makes it clear that the West has staked a great deal on its war against Russia.

As for the prospects for negotiations between Russia and the West on the Ukraine issue, Lavrov said that Russia is ready to consider serious proposals, but there haven't been any so far.