Russia Says Ukraine Must Surrender Even as Putin’s Army Retreats
- Lavrov says Ukraine’s capitulation is for its own good
- Ukraine’s army has pushed Russian troops back in recent months
Photographer: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must surrender or face continued war, even as Moscow’s troops have been forced to retreat in a series of damaging defeats.
In an interview with the state-run news service Tass published Tuesday, Lavrov said Ukraine must cede sovereignty over territories annexed by Russia since President Vladimir Putin’s Feb. 24 invasion. He reiterated unfounded claims that Russia’s aim in starting the war was “the de-Nazification and de-militarization” of Ukraine.