Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has now called for regime change in Russia with Western backing to defend themselves against “Russian aggression.” Zelensky made these remarks at the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, which prioritises equal and indivisible security for all.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the West of betraying the core values of the Helsinki Final Act as one of the main reasons for the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During his virtual address, Zelensky, whose term ended last year, said, “I believe Russia can be pushed to stop this war. But if the world doesn’t aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilise neighbouring countries.” He demanded that Western allies 'confiscate each Russian asset, rather than freezing them, urging Kyiv’s sponsors to “put every frozen Russian asset to work together defending against Russian aggression.'
Meanwhile, Moscow has never threatened the EU bloc with an attack, Lavrov said, adding that the EU is sliding into what he described as a “fourth Reich,” a term that dates back to the Austro-Hungarian and German empires, including the Third Reich led by Adolf Hitler.
Russia has often said that it was ready to negotiate with Ukraine and has since held several rounds of meetings with Ukraine and also with its backers.
The point of contention that Moscow believes is with the signing of the documents, because they see Zelensky as not qualified and illegal to run the office, despite the expiration of his term. Rather, Moscow demanded that the legitimate authority come forward and discuss and ultimately sign the peace accords.
Also Read: Zelensky seeks 'direct talks' with Putin to bring end to war
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