Lavrov says Russian goal to oust Ukraine's president

Russia’s top diplomat says Moscow’s current goal is to oust the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

Russia appears to have reversed itself after the country's top diplomat said Moscow's overarching goal is to topple the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian artillery barrages and air strikes continue to pummel cities across Ukraine.

The remark from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov comes amid Ukraine's efforts to resume grain exports from its Black Sea ports, something that would help ease global food shortages, under a new deal tested by a Russian strike on Odesa over the weekend.

Speaking to envoys at an Arab League summit in Cairo late Sunday, Mr. Lavrov said Moscow is determined to help Ukrainians “liberate themselves from the burden of this absolutely unacceptable regime.”

Mr. Lavrov accused Kiev and “its Western allies" of spouting propaganda intended to ensure that Ukraine “becomes the eternal enemy of Russia."

“Russian and Ukrainian people would continue to live together, we will certainly help Ukrainian people to get rid of the regime, which is absolutely anti-people and anti-historical,” he said.

Mr. Lavrov’s remarks contrasted sharply with the Kremlin's line early in the war, when Russian officials repeatedly emphasized that they weren’t seeking to overthrow Mr. Zelensky’s government.

Mr. Lavrov argued that Russia was ready to negotiate a deal to end hostilities in March when Kyiv changed tack and declared its intention to rout Russia on the battlefield, adding that the West has encouraged Ukraine to keep fighting.