Military operation in Ukraine
7 Oct, 13:28
Lavrov cautions West against discussions of allowing Kiev to strike deep into Russia
At a meeting in Kiev on September 11, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky did not make any decisions regarding the authorization for Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied weapons
© Sergey Karpukhin/TASS
MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Discussing allowing Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons for strikes deep inside Russia is like playing with fire which may have dangerous consequences, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Newsweek.
Tags – Foreign policyMilitary operation in Ukraine
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MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that the United States will face “dangerous consequences” if it presses on with growing military aid to Ukraine rather than backing a proposed Russian settlement that would see Moscow take over swathes of territory.
Over two and a half years after Russia launched a “special military operation” against Ukraine, resulting in the deadliest conflict Europe has seen since World War II, Lavrov stated that the Kremlin is open to ending the bloodshed but only on Moscow’s terms.
In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Lavrov accused the US-led NATO alliance of fueling the war since its inception and claimed that Washington’s support for Kyiv has prolonged the fighting unnecessarily.
“Russia is open to a politico-diplomatic settlement that should remove the root causes of the crisis,” Lavrov said. “It should aim to end the conflict rather than achieve a ceasefire.”
Moscow’s plan demands Ukraine surrender control of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia provinces—territories Russia officially annexed after a disputed referendum in 2022—and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Ukraine must also abandon its ambitions to join NATO and agree to other conditions rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as his international backers, including the United States.
Meanwhile, Kyiv and its Western allies insist on Russia’s complete withdrawal from all occupied territories, a condition Moscow firmly rejects.
Lavrov warned that the West is pushing the world closer to a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, which possesses the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world.
“Washington and its NATO allies provide political, military, and financial support to Kyiv so that the war would go on,” Lavrov asserted. “They are discussing authorizing the [Ukrainian military] to use Western long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory. ‘Playing with fire’ in this way may lead to dangerous consequences.”
Lavrov said that Russia’s demands align with what he describes as the “multipolar moment” of global power restructuring. He stressed that the world order is shifting, and Russia, along with countries like China and various developing nations, is leading this change. He predicted that the West, particularly the US, would ultimately lose more than Russia in a prolonged conflict.
“The world is living through the ‘multipolar moment,’” Lavrov said. “Shifting towards a multi-polar world order is a natural part of power rebalancing. The West waited longer than others to accept this, but the process is irreversible.”
Lavrov’s remarks come as Russian forces reportedly advance on key Ukrainian fronts, despite facing a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has also spilled into Russian territory.
The outcome of the US presidential election in November, which pits Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump, could play a critical role in determining the future of the war.
However, Lavrov expressed little faith in any substantial change, regardless of who wins. “Generally speaking, the outcome of this election makes no difference to us, as the two parties have reached a consensus as to countering our country,” Lavrov said.
“On the whole, it would be natural for the White House resident, no matter who they are, to mind their domestic business, rather than looking for adventures tens of thousands of miles away from American coasts,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.
WtR
