Valletta: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Thursday that Russia is open to considering proposals from Western nations to normalize relations, provided these proposals respect Moscow's interests. Lavrov made these comments during a press conference following the OSCE's 31st Ministerial Council meeting in Valletta, Malta. According to Anadolu Agency, Lavrov emphasized that Russia would evaluate any potential proposals based on their content and whether they demonstrate mutual respect for interests. He also reiterated that Moscow will not revert to pre-February 2022 conditions, following the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war. Lavrov stated that while Russia remains open to maintaining relations, it will scrutinize the intentions of those who have imposed sanctions and accused Russia of various transgressions. Lavrov accused the United States of exacerbating tensions by allegedly using Ukraine to "attack" Russia and criticized Washington for not honoring commitments, specifically concerning NAT O's expansion. He noted that despite agreements at OSCE summits to avoid dominance by any organization in the region, NATO has pursued contrary actions, particularly regarding Ukraine. Lavrov also addressed comments by European politicians contemplating the deployment of troops to Ukraine, arguing these discussions contradict President Vladimir Putin's warnings and worsen the situation. Regarding Armenia, Lavrov responded to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement about the strained ties between Armenia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Lavrov noted that no formal documents regarding Armenia's withdrawal from the CSTO have been received and stressed that Armenia's security interests would be best served by remaining in the alliance. He affirmed that Armenia has the sovereign right to make its own decisions about its membership, and Russia, along with other CSTO members, has not and will not take measures that might suggest exclusion from the alliance.