MOSCOW: In a year-end interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed concerns about the destabilizing role of Western countries and their geopolitical machinations.
Lavrov, in remarks released by the official Tass news agency, asserted that the world faces ongoing turbulence, largely attributed to the actions of Western ruling circles. He cautioned that no one globally could be certain of avoiding the repercussions of Western strategies in the year ahead.
Lavrov accused the West of intentionally provoking crises in distant regions to address its own internal challenges, impacting other nations adversely. Moscow has consistently blamed the West for various conflicts, framing Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a response to perceived NATO expansion and a strategic confrontation with the “collective West.”
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In the interview, Lavrov called for de-escalation in the Middle East conflict, condemning both acts of terror and what he termed as “collective punishment.” He emphasized the need to break the cycle of violence and address the longstanding injustices faced by generations of Palestinians for stability in the Middle East.
Addressing the conflict in Ukraine, Lavrov accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s regime of lacking the will for peace and adopting an aggressive rhetoric. He criticized the absence of peace talks, stating that the Zelenskiy government only considers military options. Zelenskiy, in turn, has insisted on Russian withdrawal from the occupied territories before engaging in negotiations.
