https://sputnikglobe.com/20230819/wests-slogans-change-but-goal-of-bending-world-to-its-will-remain-unchanged--lavrov-1112714401.html

West’s Slogans Change, But Goal of Bending World to Its Will Remain Unchanged – Lavrov

West’s Slogans Change, But Goal of Bending World to Its Will Remain Unchanged – Lavrov

The Ukrainian crisis has resulted in the acceleration of global processes aimed at the creation of a new global economic, political and security architecture to challenge the unipolar hegemony of the United States and its allies. As Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov has played a key role in facilitating this global transformation.

2023-08-19T04:00+0000

2023-08-19T04:00+0000

2023-08-19T04:00+0000

world

sergey lavrov

volodymyr zelensky

josep borrell

russia

ukraine

west

nato

collective security treaty organization (csto)

eurasian economic union

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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has given a broad-ranging interview with Mezhdunarodnaya Zhizn, Russia’s leading international affairs journal, discussing the rapidly changing global geopolitical situation, what he believes is the West’s main fear about the rise of a multipolar world order, the causes and consequences of the Ukrainian crisis, the risks of a nuclear war, and Russia’s cooperation with partners abroad.Lavrov had a lot of important things to say. Sputnik brings you the most important highlights.Biggest Problem Facing HumanityThe Russian top diplomat cited the West’s seemingly insatiable drive to dominate of other nations as one of the key factors standing in the way of harmonious global development.According to Lavrov, Washington and its allies are seeking to slow down “or even reverse” the evolution of the international affairs to prevent the emergence of a multipolar order and a “more just architecture of international affairs,” which Russia sees as its “mission” to support.No One to Blame But ThemselvesPointing to what he characterized as the “professional degradation” of the current crop of Western leaders, and their inability to correctly analyze events and predict trends, Lavrov emphasized that the “ill-conceived” policy of the US and its allies turned the “full-scale European security crisis” presently playing out in Ukraine into an inevitability.Russia, proceeding from the new Foreign Policy Concept released in March, strives to create the conditions necessary for the “peaceful and progressive development of humanity based on a unifying agenda,” Lavrov said, with one of the key goals being to “revive” the United Nations’ ability to return to a “central role” in harmonizing the interests of member states.Nuclear DangerHighlighting the growing threat of a global nuclear catastrophe stemming from the prospect of a direct Russia-NATO clash in Ukraine, Lavrov emphasized that at its core, the risks stem from the Western alliance’s “gross violation” of the principles of indivisible security, and a desire to see Russia’s “strategic defeat” in the proxy war in Ukraine.The Russian top diplomat stressed that Russia’s nuclear doctrine was and remains “purely defensive in nature,” and “aimed at maintaining the minimum necessary nuclear force potential to guarantee the defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, and prevent aggression against Russia and its allies.”“In the context of deterrence, the possession of nuclear weapons is presently the only possible response to some of the major external threats to the security of our country. The situation around Ukraine has only served to confirm the validity of our concerns in this area,” Lavrov said, with a “great danger” posed by the US and NATO’s drive toward escalation resulting in “direct armed clashes between nuclear powers. We believe that such a development can and should be prevented. Therefore, we are forced to remind and send sobering signals to our opponents of the existence of these extreme military-political risks.”In the meantime, he said, Moscow will continue to adhere to the view that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and to urge other nuclear states to “maintain adherence to these understandings and to exercise maximum restraint.”Crisis Has Unmasked the WestThe crisis in relations between Russia and the West has created considerable risks, but also at least one benefit, Lavrov believes, with the majority of the world getting a unique “opportunity to see the true face of those who claimed almost a monopoly on the right to determine ‘universal values’.”“Western leaders have openly admitted that they did not plan to implement the Minsk Agreements aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine. In reality, they only stalled for time to prepare for a military scenario while pumping Kiev up with arms,” Lavrov said, referring to recent revelations by former leaders of Ukraine, France and Germany regarding the Minsk deal.Hybrid War’s Main Goal“I think it’s important to understand the main thing: that the West wants to eliminate our country as a serious geopolitical competitor,” Lavrov said.This, he noted, explains the “hybrid war” being waged against Russia, through sanctions, threats of secondary restrictions against countries cooperating with Russia, acts of sabotage, such as last year’s terror attacks against the Nord Stream pipeline network, efforts to “disconnect” Russia from international cultural, educational, scientific and sporting events, etc.Meanwhile, he added, the roughly 50 countries representing the so-called “Ramstein Coalition” supporting Ukraine militarily are “factually involved in the armed conflict” against Russia, delivering cluster bombs and long-range missiles, using NATO instructors to plan operations and providing Kiev with intelligence.Lavrov pointed out that the West has now provided in excess of $160 billion in military and economic aid to the Zelensky regime, with one Washington-based think tank calculating that the $113 billion provided by the United States alone is equivalent to about $900 for every American household, plus $300 in interest on servicing the related debt obligations. “These are huge sums, especially given the difficult situation in the global economy.”Western leaders continue to repeat the “mantra” that their countries will provide as much military and other assistance to Ukraine as required, and are prepared to “fight to the last Ukrainian,” according to Lavrov. However, the record US support to its client states abroad, from South Vietnam to Afghanistan, offers hints about Kiev’s “bleak” future, with Ukraine today “almost completely dependent on Western financial inflows and weapons deliveries.” The longer the crisis continues, the less attractive the country will become to Western investors taking part in “reconstruction,” and the heavier the burden of Ukraine’s state debt will become, the Russian diplomat stressed.West’s Schizophrenic Approach to Peace TalksPointing to Russia’s long-standing efforts to restore peace, from the 2015 Minsk deal to the comprehensive security agreements proposed to the US and NATO in late 2021, to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the first weeks of the special military operations, which were ultimately sabotaged by the West, Lavrov indicated that the problem is that Washington, as the main party fueling the proxy war, refuses to come to the negotiating table, while the Zelensky regime has signed a law prohibiting peace talks.“Today, in different cities, first in Copenhagen and now in Jeddah, multilateral meetings are being held, without Russian representatives being invited, to support Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’. Meanwhile, Moscow is accused of ‘unwillingness to participate in negotiations’, and any arguments about the need to take into account the vital interests of our country are swept aside. It is clear that such an approach means the West has no intention to negotiate anything with Russia. Therefore, the prospects for negotiations between Russia and the West are, alas, not clear,” Lavrov said.Russian-African Cooperation Signals West’s FailureAsked for his views on the significance of last month’s Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, Lavrov said that the summit’s importance could not be overstated in terms of African countries’ ability to resist the concentrated campaign by the West to pressure them over ties with Russia.Russia’s goal in Africa, Lavrov said, includes “strengthening” the political, economic and technological sovereignty of its partners, with Moscow ready to share knowhow on improving public administration, ensuring food security, and implementing socio-economic development, and partnering up with regional nations to help preserve security and stability, settle regional conflicts, fight terrorism, drug crime and other cross-border threats and challenges.Russia’s Near Abroad: Cooperation Within Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty OrganizationAccording to Lavrov, Russia’s partners in the EEU and the CSTO have also faced “colossal” pressure from the West throughout the past year-and-a-half, with unfriendly countries using “threats and blackmail” to try to “force our allies to abandon their absolutely legal cooperation with Russia.”Russia is “sympathetic” to its allies in the face of the external pressure being exerted on them, Lavrov said, and their need to “exercise caution” in cooperation. At the same time, “mutual trade and economic obligations that exist between our nations continue to be fulfilled…Naturally, countermeasures are being taken on our part aimed at curbing destructive influence from outside.”For example, within the EEU, joint measures have been set up to help nullify the effects of sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus. These measures have borne fruit, with inter-bloc trade growing, along with the use of currency swaps for trade, while food and energy security cooperation continue to be “fully insured,” according to the diplomat.

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sergei lavrov, russia, ukraine, united states, west, western countries, proxy war, crisis, security crisis, multipolarity, unipolarity, international order