Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Kiev's and Washington's denial that they were involved in the attack on the Kremlin does not mean they can be believed.
"If you believe that just because the United States and Ukraine have denied the allegations, we should jettison what we know, that's not how it works," Lavrov said during a press conference after a foreign ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
A number of foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries, including Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, condemned the drone attack against the Kremlin, Sergey Lavrov added.
"As for the terrorist attack on the Kremlin and the residence of the head of state, all our assessments were set out. Almost all of my counterparts with whom we spoke yesterday expressed their condemnation. In particular, the Pakistani foreign minister directly condemned this terrorist act and expressed hope for the speedy establishment of the truth and the identification of those responsible," Lavrov said.
Lavrov said that he had taken heed of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's assessments of the UAV attacks on Russian President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin residence, noting that they speak for themselves.
"As far as Washington's attitude goes, I pointed out a statement by Antony Blinken, who said that the US would not dictate to Ukraine the methods by which it defends its sovereignty. Well, I guess that says it all," Lavrov said at his briefing.
Russia will respond with action to the drone attack rather than speculate on whether it was a pretext for war, Lavrov said.
"I wouldn't think about the name or the terms here either. It was clearly a hostile act, it is quite clear that the Kiev terrorists could not have committed it behind their masters’ back. We will respond not by talking about whether it is a casus belli or not, but by concrete actions. We have a lot of patience - there is such a proverb 'Russians take long time to harness,' and so on," Lavrov said. The negotiations to resolve the current crisis do not concern Ukraine alone, they will take place sooner or later, but not with Volodymyr Zelensky - he is a Western puppet - but with his masters, Lavrov stressed.
The minister added that the Chinese initiative in particular covers global issues - ensuring the indivisibility of security, refraining from actions that infringe on any other country, refraining from illegitimate sanctions. Ukraine is only mentioned in the title.
Moscow has never given up on talks concerning Ukraine despite the US pumping weapons into Kiev, but resolving the issue is not just about the line of contact, but is more global, according to Lavrov.
Western countries have been supplying military aid to Ukraine since the start of hostilities in February 2022. The aid evolved from artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. For the past several months Ukraine has been pushing to be supplied with fighter jets. The Kremlin, in turn, has repeatedly warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev.
Zelensky is a ‘puppet’ – Lavrov
The West and Russia will eventually sit down to discuss their differences, but this dialogue should be held not with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky but with those using him as a stooge, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Goa, India, Lavrov reiterated that Moscow had “never refused to settle issues arising from the actions of the US and their satellites to pump Ukraine with weapons” so that it could fight Russia.
The minister noted that many countries around the world are growing increasingly aware that these tensions cannot be defused solely by freezing the Ukraine conflict. “Everyone understands that the ongoing events are geopolitical in nature,” he said.
“Without solving the main geopolitical problem – that of the West aspiring to hold onto its hegemony and impose its own will on all the others, – it is impossible to resolve crises in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world,” Lavrov added.
The Russian diplomat pointed to China’s 12-point plan for a political settlement in Ukraine, which was released in late February. Lavrov said that while the plan does seek to settle the conflict itself, it also focuses on much more global and comprehensive issues.
“All this has to be discussed, of course, not with Zelensky, who is a puppet in the hands of the West, but directly with his masters,” Lavrov said, noting that such talks would take place “sooner or later.”
In early April, amid speculation about an imminent Ukrainian spring counteroffensive, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ruled out any peace negotiations between Kiev and Moscow, suggesting that such talks would only help Russia to "ratify" its territorial gains.
Moscow has repeatedly said it is open to talks with Kiev if the latter recognizes “the reality on the ground,” including the new status of four former Ukrainian regions that overwhelmingly voted to join Russia last autumn. However, around the same time as the referendums, Zelensky signed a decree prohibiting negotiations with the current Russian leadership.
Lavrov Holds Presser Following India-Hosted SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting
On Friday, top diplomats from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be gearing up for the SCO Heads of State summit, scheduled to be held from July 3-4 in India's capital, New Delhi.
Sputnik comes to you live as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a press conference following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Panaji, India.
Russia's diplomacy chief has already held talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Pakistan’s top diplomat, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The key topic of the SCO meeting is expanding the organization.
On the sidelines of the event, the ministers are expected to sign memorandums granting the status of SCO dialogue partners to Bahrain, Kuwait, Myanmar, the Maldives, and the United Arab Emirates.
Special attention will be given to foreign policy collaboration in order to strengthen the central coordinating role of the United Nations in ensuring reliable global security and sustainable economic development.
US tries to meddle in Afghanistan’s affairs again — Lavrov
Washington is trying to interfere in Afghanistan again and there is solid evidence to confirm this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday after a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member-states.
He expressed the hope that the decision to activate the SCO-Afghanistan group would be implemented. In this regard he stressed that the situation "really requires quite urgent measures."
"The reason is the Americans are trying to interfere in Afghanistan's affairs again," Lavrov said. "There is convincing evidence that the Americans support the terrorist groups remaining on the territory of Afghanistan and opposed to the Taliban (radical movement banned in Russia - TASS)."
Also, Lavrov stated that the Americans "do not abandon attempts to re-inject their military infrastructure into the region around Afghanistan and in Central Asia," he said.
"Everyone is well aware of the most serious dangers that such attempts are fraught with," Lavrov added, stressing that Russia would "firmly resist them."
No comments:
Post a Comment