untitled design

Lavrov: Russia does not consider itself at war with NATO – We do not threaten anyone with nuclear war

LAST UPDATE: 23.22

Russia will not ask for forgiveness and will not capitulate to sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, according to the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

“In order to believe that this wave of sanctions will make us call for help and ask for forgiveness, one must know nothing about Moscow’s foreign policy or how to deal with Russia,” the Russian foreign minister told television. Al Arabiya network.

Lavrov also answered a question about the timetable for the termination of the special military operation in Ukraine.

Specifically, the journalist asked if it could be completed by May 9th.

“It will be completed as soon as Russia’s goals are implemented and achieved,” Lavrov replied. At the same time, he said, peace talks have stalled due to the inconsistent attitude of the Kiev authorities. “If the negotiators were honest, if they had committed to what was agreed, we could have made significant progress in these negotiations,” he said.

According to him, Ukraine could receive guarantees from a group of states including the UN Security Council countries, Germany and Turkey.

“Any arms shipment to Kyiv from abroad on Ukrainian territory is a legitimate target for Russian forces,” he added. “Any arms shipment to Ukraine is a legitimate target, because these weapons will be handed over to the regime that is waging war against its population,” Lavrov said.

Russia does not use mercenaries in Ukraine, Lavrov said. “Russia never uses mercenaries. I can assure you that the Syrians have their own concerns,” he said when asked if Russia was using foreign mercenaries, including from Syria, in Ukraine.

Russia does not consider itself in a state of war with NATO, such a development would increase the risks of a nuclear war, which should not be allowed, said the Russian Foreign Minister. “We do not think we are at war with NATO, because that would be a step that would increase the risks of a nuclear war.”

“Unfortunately, there is a sense that NATO believes it is at war with Russia. NATO, the US, European leaders, many of them, especially in Britain, the US, Poland, France, Germany and of course “Russia’s ambassador to Europe, Borrell, has made it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin must lose, Russia must be defeated.”

Russia is not threatening anyone with a nuclear war, Western countries have started talking about it, Lavrov added.

“I was asked if a nuclear war is possible, if the risks of a nuclear war have increased and if Russia believes that this can happen. “We have been urging them to reaffirm the Reagan-Gorbachev position since 1997 that there can be no winner in a nuclear war and therefore it must never begin,” Lavrov said.

“It’s not Russia playing with the words ‘nuclear war,'” he said. The Polish Prime Minister recently said that Warsaw would welcome the development of US nuclear weapons on its territory and their rearrangement from Germany to Poland. “A nuclear war can never be unleashed. But Western countries in this case should criticize Ukrainian and Polish officials who see no danger in playing with such words,” Lavrov said.

“Western countries are blaming Russia for the global food crisis, but it did not start this year and it was the Western sanctions that made it worse,” he said. “The food crisis did not happen this year or two months ago. It started several years ago for a variety of reasons, including the coronavirus pandemic as well as miscalculations by Western countries. And, of course, the current situation has exacerbated the problem,” he said. Lavrov.

Russia can not rely on the West on issues of strategic importance, he said. “We have already reached the most important conclusion: we can not rely on the West for anything, especially in the fields of economy, technology, food, other daily needs that are of strategic importance,” Lavrov said.

The minister did not rule out the possibility of renewing relations, while stressing the importance of Russia’s self-sufficiency. “We will never say that we will not maintain relations with anyone. If people realize that they made a big mistake, we will try to renew the relations in the future. In any case, we must be self-sufficient in key areas for the security of our country.” , write down.

The West has effectively stolen more than $ 300 billion from Russia by seizing money paid for gas, Lavrov said. “When our ‘Western friends’ stole more than $ 300 billion from us after launching a special military operation in Ukraine, they were actually stealing what they themselves paid for.”

Asked whether Moldova should be concerned about Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, he said the country should be concerned about efforts to join NATO. “They should be worried about their own future, because they are drawn to NATO and I do not think that will help Moldova’s security,” he said. “The objectives of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine have been announced. Their purpose is to protect the civilian population in eastern Ukraine and to ensure that there are no threats from the territory of Ukraine to this population and to Russia. That is all.” argued.

As for gas supplies, Lavrov said “most” of Russia’s main partners had agreed to use the payment method proposed by Russia.

Source: Capital

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular