Lavrov: Moscow Ready for Settlement of Ukraine Crisis

Following a phone discussion between the two senior diplomats on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov briefed his Turkish colleague Mevlut Cavusoglu on Russia's special military operation in Donbass, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"While discussing the current situation in Ukraine and the region as a whole," the statement reads, "Sergey Lavrov provided his Turkish counterpart with detailed information on the special military operation that the Russian Armed Forces are conducting in Donbass with the militias of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics based on Russian leadership decisions."

Lavrov emphasized Russia's willingness to work with all constructive forces to find an early and long-term solution to the Ukraine issue in the interests of peace and stability, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. It added that the parties had also discussed bilateral relations and agreed to keep in touch.

Following a request by the heads of the Donbass republics, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military action on February 24. The Russian leader stated that Moscow had no aspirations to take Ukrainian territory and that the country's purpose was to be demilitarized and denazified.

Later, Russia's Defense Ministry stated that the Russian Armed Forces had not carried out any strikes against Ukrainian cities. Precision weapons are destroying Ukrainian military infrastructure, according to the ministry, and civilians are not in danger.