Representatives of the West are directly telling Kyiv that it is too early to negotiate with Russia, negotiations on the conflict need to start from a position of strength, returning Russia to the 1991 borders, Russian FM Sergei Lavrov said, RIA Novosti reports.

"No one asks our Western colleagues, who regularly in the mouths of Mr. (Josep) Borrell, or in the mouths of NATO Secretary General Mr. (Jens) Stoltenberg, or in the mouths of representatives of the American administration or the European Union say that it is still too early for Ukraine to start negotiating. We need to win back more in this situation and start negotiations from a position of strength. They are directly saying that it is necessary to return Russia to the borders of 1991," Lavrov said at a press conference after negotiations with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.