Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed the Arab League that the priorities of the Russian military operation in Ukraine are protecting civilians in Donbas, disarming Ukraine, and cleansing it of Nazism. According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry following Lavrov's meeting with a delegation from the Arab League’s Contact Group on Ukraine during the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Lavrov briefed the delegation on "the roots of the Ukrainian crisis stemming from the coup supported by some Western countries in 2014 and the situation in Ukraine against the backdrop of the Russian military operation there."
The statement added: "In this regard, it was emphasized that our absolute priorities are the protection of civilians in Donbas, disarming Ukraine, and cleansing it of Nazism." The Russian side praised the "balanced position of the Arab League on this issue, which was reaffirmed during a new meeting of the foreign ministers of member states of the League in Cairo on September 6."
The statement also noted the importance of continuing cooperation between Russia and the Arab League, including within the framework of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum. Those participating in the meeting included the foreign ministers of Algeria, Ramtane Lamamra, Egypt's Sameh Shoukry, Jordan's Ayman Safadi, Iraq's Fouad Hussein, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmad Aboul Gheit, among others.
