“But we continue to conduct negotiations with the team delegated by (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky), and these contacts will continue,” he said.
Mr Lavrov accused the Ukrainian president — a former comedian elected to the presidency in 2019 — of “pretending” to negotiate.
“He’s a good actor (…), if you look carefully and read carefully what he says, you will find a thousand contradictions there,” said the head of Russian diplomacy.
In this context of unprecedented tensions between Russia and the West due to the Russian offensive in Ukraine, he warned of the “real” danger of a third world war.
“The danger is serious, it is real, it cannot be underestimated,” said Mr. Lavrov, quoted by the Interfax agency.
As for the conflict in Ukraine, he said he was confident that “everything will of course end with the signing of an agreement”.
“But the terms of this agreement will depend on the fighting situation on the ground, when this agreement becomes a reality,” Lavrov added.