Highlights From Russian FM Lavrov's Interview to Sputnik and Rossiya 24
12:36 28.12.2023 (Updated: 17:43 28.12.2023)
© Sputnik . Ramil Sitdikov
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On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was interviewed live by Sputnik news agency and Rossiya 24 TV channel, where he discussed pressing issues of global affairs.
Following Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov's interview with Russian media, Sputnik Africa highlights the minister's key statements on international issues, including the situation in Ukraine, relations between Moscow and Western countries, de-dollarization and other aspects of the global agenda.
Western Pressure Only Unites Russia
By sanctioning and pressuring Moscow, the Western countries have only succeeded in rallying the Russian people, the foreign minister said.
"The sanctions were supposed to stir up the people, were supposed to raise protest waves, [but] they have achieved the unity of the country, the unity of the people," Lavrov noted.
Continuing in this vein, he noted that Russia has grown significantly stronger in the outgoing year of 2023, and the people have rallied to confront the West in the hybrid war it has unleashed.
The minister said that the West was counting on the disunity of Russian citizens who spoke out against Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, but ended up achieving more rallying in the nation.
20 December 2023, 17:56
In addition, as the minister noted, the West's strategy of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia has "failed miserably."
"The West is really changing its tactics, maybe even thinking about clarifying its strategy. Because if 'strategic defeat of Russia' is a strategy, excuse the tautology, then this strategy failed miserably," Lavrov pointed out.
Lavrov added that the United States called Russia an enemy, and if that is the case, then Moscow is ready for any development of the events. He stressed that "only a serious internal shock can rid the United States of its sense of superiority."
This sense of superiority was particularly evident in the actions of the democratic administration, in its desire to subjugate not only the whole world, but also its own country in violation of its own constitution, the minister said.
Deceit of the West
Russia always tries to speak directly and tell the truth when doing business in the international arena, unlike Western countries, which are prone to deception, Lavrov emphasized.
"Sly speeches have always distinguished our Western colleagues. We always try to speak the truth, to speak straightforwardly. This is especially necessary in the current circumstances, when everyone should know who is who, who is worth what and who is striving for what," he pointed out.
The minister added that Moscow also seeks "to fulfill the most important principle of the UN Charter, which is 'respect for the sovereign equality of states'."
Earlier, Lavrov noted that the task of Russian diplomacy in the coming year is to ensure an objective perception of Russia in the world against the background of the ongoing special military operation and sanctions confrontation with the West.
Ukrainian Conflict
Speaking about the special military operation, Lavrov noted that all the people of Russia, led by the president of the country, ensure the movement towards victory, including in the conflict in Ukraine.
"The victory we had was not only diplomatic. First of all, it is a victory that is forged on the frontline, in the area of the special military operation. But without the rear, without nationwide support, the results would have been different. All our people, all our leadership, headed by the president, are ensuring the forward movement, it is visible," the top diplomat remarked.
Russia is preparing to implement all the set goals of the special operation, including the demilitarization of Ukraine, amid the changes in the Ukrainian direction, the minister added.
Lavrov also commented on the peace plan proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling it "a figment of a sick imagination."
"The goal was to force them [countries] to sign Zelensky's 'peace formula," which is simply a figment of a sick imagination. Because, no matter what was written there ... The main thing is 'Russia, go to the borders of 1991, give up Crimea, give up Donbas," the minister said, commenting on the Western countries' attempts to encourage developing countries to support Zelensky's plan.
Ten days ago, another meeting on this peace plan was held in complete secrecy with the participation of Western countries and some countries of the Global South, the minister added.
"Those of our close allies who participated in this meeting, like-minded people, they did not promise anyone to keep any secrets from us on an issue that has to do with Russia," Lavrov said.
US & Situation in Taiwan
Judging by the situation in the Taiwan Strait, the United States is clearly not abandoning forceful methods of solving problems, the Russian top diplomat emphasized.
"If you take the Americans, if you take their appetites, if you take the latest data on their military budget, if you look at what preparations are underway in the Taiwan Strait and around the Taiwan Strait, then, of course, they are by no means abandoning forceful methods of solving problems," Lavrov said.
The 'Rainbow' Future of the European Union
As for the European Union, the Russian Foreign Minister shared his prognosis, saying that he does not see a bright future for the organization.
"I do not see such a rosy future, or rather, I do not see a rosy future in a good sense for the European Union. In other senses, they have already defined this future for themselves," Lavrov pointed out.
Since the minister was speaking in Russian, he used a different word to describe the perspectives. The idiom for the "bright future" sounds like "a rainbow future" in Russian, hence the pun.
Israel-Palestine Escalation
It is questionable that the Israeli leadership knew in advance about Hamas' plans to attack on October 7, but did not take any measures to prevent it, the minister argued.
"A lot of conspiracy theories are emerging now. Just the other day, our television and social networks once again conveyed a message from one of the Western media, Western journalists, and researchers. In my opinion, [journalist] Seymour Hersh also published this, that the Israeli leadership was warned by intelligence a year before October 7 of this year that such a large-scale terrorist attack was being prepared. I cannot accept that if this is true, then no precautions or preventive measures were taken. Moreover, knowing how much the Israeli army and Israeli security forces are able and always ready to carry out preventive strikes," Lavrov said.
De-Dollarization
Everyone is tired of the US dollar, which is turning into a means of regime change and interference in the internal affairs of countries, the Russian top diplomat opined.
"Everyone is already tired of the dollar, which is becoming a tool of influence, a tool for undermining the legitimate competitive positions of countries in different regions and a tool for interfering in internal affairs and regime change," Lavrov pointed out.
'BRICS Culture'
Russia will gradually introduce the "BRICS culture" into the world affairs amid the great interest of the world states in joining BRICS, the Russian foreign minister said.
He noted that 27 willing countries are "in line to receive at least the status of a partner state" of BRICS. It is impossible to quickly accept all those interested in the bloc, the minister emphasized.
The interview was conducted by Dmitry Kiselyov, CEO of the international media group Rossiya Segodnya, the parent company of Sputnik News Agency.
