West's Plan to Inflict 'Strategic Defeat' on Russia Has Failed, Lavrov Tells Sputnik, Rossiya 24

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a live interview to Sputnik and Rossiya 24 channel, discussing current international political issues, summarizing Russian diplomacy's work in 2023, and outlining its goals for the new year, 2024.
Sputnik
The West's strategy of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia has failed miserably, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Sputnik and the Rossiya 24 channel on Thursday.

"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 said.

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.
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"And some even, like US Secretary of Defense [Lloyd Austin], an official, called us an enemy, but if so, then we are ready for any development of events," he told Sputnik and Rossiya 24.

In addition, the Russian foreign minister said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had betrayed his people.

"The whole network community is watching how, a few years ago, he was basically acting in the spirit of the script of [his film] Servant of the People: 'Leave the Russians alone, it's their language, live normally. I myself am a Jew, but my mother tongue is Russian, but I am a citizen of Ukraine. Why can't he take this principled line? He betrayed his people. He betrayed not just one people, but both of his people," Lavrov said in the interview.

Moreover, the foreign minister said that the peace plan proposed by Zelensky was "a figment of a sick imagination."

"The goal was to force them [countries] to sign Zelenskyy'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 Donbass," Lavrov said, commenting on 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.