Destruction of infrastructure that threatens us will be completed: Lavrov on Ukraine war
Smoke rises from an oil depot after shelling by Russian forces in Chernihiv, Ukraine
Amid war of words between Russia and the United States over Ukraine, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the "idea of a nuclear war" is not "in the heads of Russians".
The Russian foreign minister said: "I assure you that we will not allow any provocations to throw us off balance," as the war rages in Ukraine.
Lavrov went ahead and compared the United States to Napoleon and Hitler, saying: "In their time, both Napoleon and Hitler set themselves the task of subjugating Europe. Now the Americans have subdued it."
Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered Russia's nuclear forces be put on high alert amid the escalating Ukraine war as Western nations imposed a wave of sanctions on Russia.
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Lavrov said a "solution" to the Ukraine crisis would be found. However, ahead of the proposed talks, Lavrov said that the Ukrainian delegation may have got "directions from Washington" adding that "This country is absolutely non-independent", referring to Ukraine.
The Russian foreign minister said that "there are no Russian troops in Kharkiv" while asserting that Russia was ready to accept foreign students.
"The Indian Prime Minister spoke to the President of Russia. He is concerned that an Indian citizen, a student died in Ukraine in Kharkiv," he said.
"Destruction of the infrastructure that threatens us will be completed, even if we sign the peace treaty," Lavrov maintained.
Russia has been targeting Ukrainian cities including capital Kyiv for over a week after President Putin last Thursday ordered military operation against Ukraine.
"We can't allow ourselves to preserve infrastructure threatening the safety of the Russian Federation in Ukraine," he said.
(With inputs from Agencies)