larry johnson gives you an approximation of where the empire stands with the russians; 

 

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, gave a remarkable assessment of the emerging new economic order, the war in Ukraine and the unreliability of the United States as a negotiating partner in an interview with TV BRICS, which was published on February 9, 2026. Overall, he expressed no optimism for economic ties with the US, seeing no “bright” or “rosy” future there despite openness to cooperation in principle, while blaming the US for sabotaging relations and progress on Ukraine despite Trump’s stated desire to end the war. And that was just for starters.

Foreign Minister Lavrov accused the United States of no longer being willing to implement its own proposals on Ukraine that were discussed during the August 2025 summit in Anchorage, Alaska (between Presidents Putin and Trump). Lavrov claimed Russia accepted the US proposal there, and if approached “like men” (or straightforwardly), the issue should have been resolved. Instead, he said Washington has backtracked, continuing policies like new sanctions, actions against Russian oil tankers (e.g., seizures by US forces), and blocking Russian energy exports. He also stated that after Anchorage, Russia and the US were supposed to move toward broad cooperation, but the opposite occurred, with the US creating “artificial barriers” and pursuing “economic dominance.”

Lavrov reiterated Russia’s core demands for any settlement: eliminating the “Nazi foundations” of Ukraine (a reference to Russia’s longstanding “denazification” narrative), ensuring Russia’s security by preventing any weapons on Ukrainian territory that could threaten Russia, and effectively controlling aspects of Ukraine’s post-war military size, composition, and armament. He emphasized that Russia’s security requires addressing these, including in regions like Crimea, Donbas, and “Novorossiya.”

Here are the key paragraphs from the interview regarding the war in Ukraine:...........more...........