Arya News - The supply of diesel fuel to the United States is a business agreement, there were no political conditions or links, and this is a purely pragmatic move, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
"There were no conditions... There were no strings attached at all. This is a purely pragmatic approach," Putin said, when asked whether the diesel fuel deal would be followed by a reduction in support for Tehran.The administration of US President Donald Trump advocates for expanding and deepening US-Russia dialogue, covering new areas, Lavrov said.Meanwhile, Russia still sees no change in Europe"s approach to the conflict in Ukraine, as the EU continues to ignore its root causes, Lavrov said.The minister also called German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other EU politicians political "masochists" for striving to "defeat Russia," despite the damage to their countries from this course.Ukraine Negotiation ProcessEuropean countries are trying to squeeze into the negotiation process on Ukraine, but so far they have not changed their approach, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.The minister recalled that Europe had previously categorically refused to contact Russia."Now they are saying no, let"s restore these contacts somehow," Lavrov said.Protests in European CapitalsThe protests in Paris and other European capitals show how much of a "blooming garden" Europe actually is, Lavrov said.Protests began in France in mid-September, when high school students took to the streets in Paris suburbs demanding improvements to the condition of schools. Later, they were joined by those dissatisfied with rising prices in the country, and the actions spread to other regions, including Spain, Italy and Austria.UNSC ExpansionRussia advocates for expanding the UN Security Council exclusively by including countries from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Lavrov said.Economic Sovereignty of African NationsRussia supports Africa’s "second awakening" and is ready to assist countries of the continent in achieving economic independence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday."The second awakening of the African continent is now taking place. Russia strongly supports these processes and, as before, is ready to contribute to the establishment of an independent economy for all our African friends," Lavrov said.The third Russia-Africa summit will be held in Moscow on October 28-29. Sputnik is a media partner for the summit and forum.