Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday Moscow was ready to cooperate with the United Nations to help civilians in Ukraine, where Russia has been conducting a military operation for over two months, according to AFP.

"Our goals are primarily to protect the civilian population and here we are ready to cooperate with our colleagues from the UN to alleviate the plight of the civilian population," Lavrov said during a press conference with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.