Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the attempted assassination of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev shows that the Ukrainian leadership is trying to sabotage negotiations.

Axar.az informs, citing TASS, speaking at a press conference, Lavrov said this terrorist act is further proof that the Zelensky government continues a course of provocations aimed at destabilizing the negotiation process. He added that the Kyiv authorities are prepared to take any steps necessary to ensure their Western backers do not fall behind the United States in efforts to derail what he called a path toward a “fair settlement.”

Lavrov declined to speculate on how the incident could affect future talks. “That is not my responsibility. The country’s leadership will make that decision,” he said.