"All kinds of Macrons, Starmers, Von der Leyens, immediately started shouting..."

He said that Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in March and immediately requested Russia's consent.

"All kinds of Macrons, Starmers, Von der Leyens, immediately started shouting that the ball is now in Russian President Vladimir Putin's court. Although three days before that, everyone said that there was no truce, that they should "pump up" Ukraine before sitting down at the negotiating table so that it would act from a position of strength. They immediately changed their position, as soon as the wind changed direction," Lavrov said.

He stated that on the same day when the cease-fire agreement was agreed, Kyiv launched a record number of drones into the central regions of Russia, without the West condemning it.

Lavrov emphasized that the dialogue between Russia and the USA is necessary and represents a return to normality.

• The deal was struck – peace

"What the relations of those countries experienced under former US President Joseph Biden is an anomaly. It does no credit to politicians, especially those with experience like Biden's. The fact that now, despite serious disagreements, we have continued the dialogue is a return to normality. Such dialogue is necessary. Especially since we are not only talking about Ukraine,'' Lavrov believes.

He assessed that the US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Steve Witkoff, understood the essence of the conflict in Ukraine, but that he overestimates the European elites regarding the ceasefire.