A group strike by Russian drones overnight to Sunday destroyed fuel storage facilities supplying the Ukrainian military in the Odessa Region's Reni port, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"Tonight the Russian armed forces carried out a group strike by unmanned aerial vehicles against storage facilities supplying fuel for military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces in the port of Reni in the Odessa Region. The strike achieved its target. All designated facilities were hit," the ministry said.
During the special military operation, the Russian military has used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) expertly to accomplish tasks without loss of personnel.
In June, Ukraine attempted a counteroffensive that resulted in little more than heavy losses in manpower and military equipment supplied by the West. The latter has proved useless in helping Kiev achieve its objectives, much to the chagrin of Ukraine's Western partners.
Ukraine reported port infrastructure damage in Odessa Region
Russian air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian drone over Russia's Belgorod Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
"Today (September 3), at around 12:30 Moscow time [09:30 GMT], an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle against objects in Russia was thwarted. The Ukrainian drone was destroyed by air defense over the territory of the Belgorod Region," the ministry said in a statement.
On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian armed forces shot down a Ukrainian airplane-type drone over the Belgorod Region and became one of at least five Ukrainian drones shot down over the Belgorod Region over the past two days
Ukrainian troops resorted to drone warfare in last several months after loss of several strategic locations and growing number of casualties. Military experts stress that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia pursue no meaningful military goal apart from boosting morale among Ukrainians.
Washington and its allies in Europe and elsewhere continue to support Kiev despite it acting increasingly like the Nazis during World War II, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a Telegram post on Saturday. Moscow should abandon hope of reconciling with the West and see it for what it is, he believes.
The leaders of Ukraine are “increasingly talking about ‘holding all Russians accountable’,” Medvedev said, adding that Kiev sees all Russian citizens as ‘Russians’ regardless of their ethnic background. In a thinly veiled reference to the Nazis’ plans for the Soviet Union, the former president said that the world had already seen similar aspirations.
Medvedev noted that Ukraine is still being supported by almost every single Western leader, as well as by the heads of Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. All of them “are direct and obvious Nazi accomplices,” he stated, adding that “they should be treated as the leaders of a pro-Nazi coalition.”
The former president, who now serves as the deputy head of Russia’s National Security Council and the Military Industrial Committee, then insisted that Russia should not “lapse into sweet daydreaming” about achieving reconciliation with the West and joining what he called a “big polyamory family of non-binary genders.”
Medvedev had earlier condemned what he called open glorification of Nazism in Ukraine, pointing to an initiative calling for the establishment of the Stepan Bandera Order that would supposedly be awarded to Ukrainian servicemen. Bandera was a notorious Ukrainian nationalist leader during World War II whose organization was responsible for mass killings of Jews and Poles in Ukraine.
The petition requesting the creation of such an order in Ukraine appeared on the official website of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in May. It has since received nearly 2,300 signatures of the required 25,000.
Medvedev blasted the initiative by comparing it to Germany establishing an order of Adolf Hitler or Italy introducing an order of Bennito Mussolini. “What is there to be ashamed of?” Medvedev mockingly wrote on Telegram at the time. “Let’s just glorify all European Nazis at once. This appears to be the new European ideology,” he added.
About 280,000 individuals enlisted by contract from January 1 - Medvedev
Around 280,000 individuals were enlisted by contract with the Russian Armed Forces from January 1, 2023, Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said.
"Let us continue discussing the critical topic that gathered us here this time in the Far Eastern District. This time I meet heads of regions of the [Russian] Federation in person, in view of significant of the staffing work," Medvedev said when opening the meeting. "According to data of the Defense Ministry, about 280,000 persons were enlisted by contracts to ranks of the [Russian] Armed Forces since January 1," he noted.
Some of them were in the reserve and the other ones are volunteers, Medvedev added.
Menteri Investasi/Kepala BKPM Bahlil Lahadalia (kelima kiri), Sekretaris Jenderal Perhimpunan Bangsa-Bangsa Asia Tenggara (Sekjen ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn (keempat kiri), Executive Secretary ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana (keempat kanan), ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Chair Arsjad Rasjid (ketiga kanan), Deputy Secretary General of Board of Investment Thailand Sonklin Ploymee (kedua kiri), Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Malaysia Teuku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Bin Teuku Abdul Aziz (ketiga kiri), Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Brunei Darussalam Amin Liew Abdullah (kelima kanan), Deputy Director General, Foreign Investment Agency, Ministry of Planning and Investment Vietnam Nguyen Anh Tuan (kiri), Deputy Director General of Investment Promotion Department Ministry of Planning and Investment Laos Thavichanh Thiengthepvongsa (kedua kanan), Director Cambodia Investment Coordination Board Sar Senera berfoto seusai pembukaan ASEAN Investment Forum 2023 di Jakarta, Sabtu (2/9/2023). Bisnis/Abdurachman
Mengangkat Tema Berkelanjutan
Penyelenggaraan ASEAN INVESTMENT FORUM 2023 merupakan kolaborasi antara Kementerian Investasi/BKPM dengan ESCAP, Bloomberg, serta World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), yang didukung oleh ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC).
Tema kegiatan AIF 2023 sejalan dengan salah satu pilar prioritas dalam Keketuaan Indonesia pada ASEAN 2023 yaitu keberlanjutan, di mana ASEAN perlu mempersiapkan dan mengarah ke tujuan yang sama dalam transisi menuju ekonomi hijau yang dapat dicapai melalui investasi berkelanjutan.
Investasi berkelanjutan dapat menjadi salah satu penggerak dalam mencapai SDGs seperti penyediaan energi bersih dan terjangkau; mendorong industri, inovasi, dan penciptaan infrastruktur yang berkelanjutan; mendukung upaya penanganan perubahan iklim; dan juga penyediaan lapangan pekerjaan serta membantu pertumbuhan ekonomi.
Ketua ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Arsjad Rasjid menyatakan, investasi dan perdagangan sebagai urat nadi perekonomian negara-negara ASEAN harus dikelola secara bersama-sama untuk menciptakan kemakmuran.
"Kita tidak bisa berdiri sendiri, ASEAN harus menyadari kekuatan dan potensi investasi yang dimiliki untuk makin memantapkan posisi ASEAN sebagai surga investasi global," kata Arsjad pada pembukaan ASEAN Investment Forum 2023 di Hotel Sultan, Jakarta, Sabtu, 2 September 2023.
Arsjad mengungkapkan, kawasan Asia Tenggara memiliki potensi dan peluang investasi sangat menjanjikan di bidang pertanian dan pangan, ekonomi digital, kesehatan swasta-publik, kendaraan listrik, pasar karbon, dan sistem pembayaran QT regional.
Keunggulan sumber daya
Potensi dan peluang yang dimiliki, menjadikan ASEAN sebagai target investasi asing langsung (Foreign Direct Investment/FDI) dan menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan dalam beberapa tahun terakhir.
Pada 2010, FDI di Asia Tenggara hanya sekitar USD23 miliar. Jumlah itu melonjak menjadi USD47 miliar pada 2021. "Selain potensi investasi, Asia Tenggara juga memiliki keunggulan berupa sumber daya energi alam yang besar, untuk memenuhi permintaan energi global," kata dia.
Di sisi ekonomi digital, ASEAN juga mengalami pertumbuhan signifikan. Pada 2022, ekonomi digital ASEAN tercatat mencapai USD194 miliar dan diproyeksikan berkembang menjadi USD330 miliar pada 2025. Arsjad mengatakan, dengan potensi dan peluang investasi yang ada, ASEAN memiliki fundamental ekonomi yang kuat untuk pembangunan berkelanjutan.
ASEAN-BAC secara konsisten terus mendorong Forum Investasi ASEAN atau ASEAN Investment Forum dapat memperkuat fundamental ekonomi tersebut untuk menjadikan kawasan ASEAN sebagai surga Investasi global. Di bawah kepemimpinan Indonesia, lanjutnya, ASEAN-BAC telah melakukan roadshow ke negara-negara ASEAN dan mitra eksternal, seperti Inggris, Jepang, Korea Selatan, Australia, Kanada, dan Tiongkok untuk menawarkan potensi dan peluang investasi di ASEAN.
"Kami meyakinkan para pemimpin dan pengusaha bahwa ASEAN wajib diperhitungkan karena memiliki fundamental ekonomi yang kuat, dan ASEAN Investment Forum 2023 dapat dijadikan momentum untuk memperkuat posisi ASEAN sebagai surga investasi global," ujar dia.
Dia menambahkan, ASEAN Investment Forum 2023 diselenggarakan untuk menampilkan peluang investasi ASEAN yang juga berkontribusi bagi pembangunan inklusif dan berkelanjutan.
Ketegangan geopolitik
Sementara itu, Menteri Investasi/Kepala BKPM, Bahlil Lahadalia, dalam sambutan saat meresmikan ASEAN Investment Forum 2023, menyampaikan di tengah kondisi dunia yang tidak dalam keadaan baik-baik saja akibat ketegangan geopolitik dan perubahan iklim, ASEAN menjadi harapan.
Dana Moneter Internasional (IMF) menyatakan ASEAN menjadi cakrawala bagi pemulihan ekonomi global dengan rata-rata pertumbuhan ekonomi sebesar 3,8 persen. Angka tersebut, di atas rata-rata pertumbuhan ekonomi global yang mencapai 2,6 persen. Selain itu, ASEAN juga menunjukkan pertumbuhan FDI.
Ketika FDI global turun, ASEAN justru mencatat sejarah pertumbuhan FDI tertinggi, yakni penerima FDI terbesar kedua di dunia. Meski demikian, Bahlil menyampaikan ASEAN sebagai sentra pembangunan ekonomi global yang inklusif, harus mendorong investasi untuk pembangunan yang berkelanjutan.
Ketika FDI global turun, ASEAN justru mencatat sejarah pertumbuhan FDI tertinggi, yakni penerima FDI terbesar kedua di dunia. Meski demikian, Bahlil menyampaikan ASEAN sebagai sentra pembangunan ekonomi global yang inklusif, harus mendorong investasi untuk pembangunan yang berkelanjutan.
"Aliran investasi ke ASEAN sangat massif, namun tujuan kita bukan meningkatkan nominal, melainkan bagaimana investasi tersebut dapat mewujudkan pembangunan berkelanjutan khususnya SDGS dan rakyat dapat menikmati hasil dari investasi," ujar Bahlil.
Peluang investasi
ASEAN Investment Forum 2023 diadakan pada 2 September 2023, di Hotel Sultan, Jakarta, Indonesia. Forum ini diselenggarakan dalam format hybrid, sebuah pameran area di tempat yang menampilkan stan untuk menampilkan peluang investasi di ASEAN, dan memfasilitasi pertemuan antara investor dan perusahaan yang mencari investasi.
Tujuan utama penyelenggaraan kegiatan ini adalah untuk menyediakan platform bagi ASEAN negara-negara untuk memamerkan proyek investasi andalan kepada investor internasional dan regional pemangku kepentingan, sehingga merangsang aliran investasi asing langsung (FDI) ke wilayah tersebut.
Dengan menampilkan inisiatif mereka yang paling menjanjikan, negara-negara yang berpartisipasi dapat mempercepat dan meningkatkan pertumbuhan ekonomi pembangunan infrastruktur, mendorong inovasi, dan mendorong penciptaan lapangan kerja bagi mereka sendiri dan seluruh dunia wilayah ASEAN.
Fokus isu dalam ASEAN Investment Forum 2023 adalah investasi yang berkontribusi dalam mempromosikan kesetaraan gender, peningkatan akses terhadap layanan kesehatan dan vaksin, pembangunan berkelanjutan dan berketahanan iklim infrastruktur, antara lain menjembatani kesenjangan digital, dan mendukung transisi energi ramah lingkungan, dan pasar karbon.
Menyadari potensi yang sangat besar untuk inisiatif investasi kolaboratif, ASEAN Investment Forum 2023 telah disusun berfungsi sebagai katalis bagi integrasi ekonomi regional dan pembangunan berkelanjutan.
Hadir pada acara itu, Menteri Investasi/Kepala Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia, Sekjen ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn, Menteri Investasi, Perdagangan, dan Industri Malaysia Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Menteri Keuangan dan Ekonomi Brunei Darussalam Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah, serta Sekretaris Eksekutif Komisi Ekonomi dan Sosial untuk Asia dan Pasifik (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.
The Russian Armed Forces destroyed up to 115 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen in the Zaporozhye direction in the last day, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Saturday.
"Up to 115 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, four vehicles, two M-777 artillery systems, and a US-made M-119 gun, as well as two howitzers: Msta-B and D-20, were destroyed in a day," the report said.
Russian forces destroy up to 60 Ukrainian servicemen in Krasny Liman direction
Russian forces destroyed up to 60 servicemen of Ukraine's Armed Forces in the Krasny Liman direction, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Saturday.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, coordinated actions of units of the Center group of troops, army aviation strikes, artillery fire, and heavy flamethrower systems repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 5th brigade of the National Guard and the 67th mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Grigorovka of the Donetsk People's Republic and Chervonaya Dibrova of the Lugansk People's Republic over the day," the statement said.
Watch Russian Kamikaze Drone Eliminate Ukrainian Servicemen Hiding in Trenches
During the special military operation, the Russian military has used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) expertly to accomplish tasks without loss of personnel.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage showing a Russian FPV attack drone eliminating Ukrainian troops hiding in trenches.
In June, Ukraine attempted a counteroffensive that resulted in little more than heavy losses in manpower and military equipment supplied by the West. The latter has proved useless in helping Kiev achieve its objectives, much to the chagrin of Ukraine's Western partners.
Russian Tornado-S MLRS Crews In Combat Action In Special Op Zone
The Tornado-S is a highly mobile multiple rocket launcher system developed by Russia. It can launch guided and unguided rockets with a range of up to 200km and can fire up to 12 rockets in less than two minutes. The Tornado-S is equipped with an automated fire control system and digital communication equipment.
The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems conducting missile strikes against the military infrastructure and military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces during a special military operation.
Ukraine launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces in early June after a number of postponements. Citing the needs of the counteroffensive, Kiev pushed its Western donors to step up their military and financial aid. The Russian Defense Ministry estimates that, as of 4 August, Ukraine's losses in the counteroffensive amount to about 43,000 troops and 4,900 units of military equipment.
Friday marked the start of the new school year in Russia. In what has become established tradition, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave a talk to students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia’s top diplomatic school, to brief them on the Foreign Ministry’s priorities. A Sputnik correspondent was in attendance.
This year, Sergei Lavrov’s big meeting with students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations included a special guest – Ambassador Muhammad Ahmad al-Jaber of the United Arab Emirates, one of six newly-minted BRICS countries invited into the bloc last month. Lavrov congratulated the UAE on its entry into the bloc.
Ukrainian Crisis
As might be expected, among the issues topping the agenda at Lavrov’s remarks was the Ukrainian crisis and NATO’s ongoing proxy war against Russia. Lavrov had several things to say about the conflict, including the “ridiculousness” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ‘peace plan’, which constitutes nothing short of an ultimatum to Russia.
“Few people took it seriously, but the West’s obsession with containing and defeating us was manifested in the fact that this absolutely ridiculous document became part of the West’s official position, which it has begun to promote using…dirty, unscrupulous methods,” Lavrov said.
The foreign minister listed off the treaty’s “outrageous, unrealistic and deficient” points, including the demand that Russia withdraw to the 1991 border, pay reparations to Kiev and surrender its leaders to a tribunal.
Commenting on last month’s Jeddah meeting on the Ukrainian crisis, Lavrov said that the gathering, which did not include representatives from Russia, was a deliberate step by Saudi Arabia to demonstrate the “futility” of talks without Russian involvement. “Our Saudi friends subsequently told us that they wanted to host another meeting of this format in Jeddah. They said this was being done solely in order to convey to Western participants and to Ukraine itself of the complete futility of any talks without the participation of the Russian Federation,” the diplomat said.
The Russian foreign minister also commented on Western politicians’ regular promises to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes.”
“We discussed this with our colleagues in an informal setting at the BRICS summit. They asked me: how long do you think they will have to support Ukraine in order for it to win on the battlefield? I said: I can’t hazard a guess, but there are examples in history – look how long it took them in Iraq, how long it took them in Afghanistan, to achieve their goals. I think the answer is clear here,” Lavrov said, referring to the US and NATO’s forced withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan after decades of occupation and spending trillions of dollars, with little to show for it.
Lavrov also highlighted the UN’s involvement in the meetings focusing on the Zelensky formula, recalling how, at last month’s BRICS summit in Johannesburg, he confronted UN chief Antonio Guterres on the summit’s sidelines and told him in a frank manner that UN participation “violates all the principles of the work of the secretariat, which, according to the Charter, must be impartial and should not receive instructions from any government.”
Another major topic of interest relates to the ongoing processes to create a fairer and more just world order – processes which Lavrov admitted were “impossible to predict” in terms of the amount of time necessary for their implementation.
“This is not the rotation of the Earth, which is subject to astronomical laws, nor other processes in the field of exact sciences. A lot depends on the role of the individual in history,” Lavrov said.
Some countries have leaders seeking to “perpetuate” their countries’ global dominance. Others “understand the need to unite efforts, and that there are a large number of risks and threats common to all of humanity, and that they can only be dealt with jointly, and by developing methods to overcome them that will meet everyone’s interests,” he said.
One example of these conflicting interests is the so-called “green transition,” where Western countries have walked back on their climate commitments, ramping up the use of coal amid the energy crisis while continuing to try to force Africa and other nations in the developing world to make a speedy transition, without providing the resources necessary to do so.
“Nothing has been done. When we met in the framework of BRICS, many colleagues recalled” Western promises to assist African countries – to the tune of $10 billion a year, “which were simply forgotten,” against the background of lavish Western assistance to Kiev over the past year and a half, Lavrov said.
Fortunately, Lavrov said, even in the West there is a gradual, quiet swelling of more and more “sober voices” “calling for compromises – agreements which will take into account the interests of all countries without exception in both the security and economic spheres,” and for “the abandonment of diktat, which has never brought about anything good.”
Multipolarity Inevitable
Lavrov stressed that the gradual movement of the world toward multipolarity is an “unstoppable” and “objective course of history.”
“It’s difficult to say how long the transition will last. It was thought that the era of Western dominance, which lasted for about 500 years, would be eternal. But it is coming to an end,” Lavrov said. “The formation of a multipolar world order will take a long time, it may be a long historical epoch, but this process is objective and cannot be stopped."
In its place will be a new, more sustainable world order with “very deep historical roots,” and one which “reflects objective reality” – based on the fact that new centers of powers who want a greater sense of agency in international relations, and who reject the old principles applied by the old colonial powers seeking “to live at the expense of others.” Russia, for its part, will support these trends, Lavrov added.
Naturally, he said, the West will try to continue “trying to slow down the course of history,” and to create new “confrontational situations, additional difficulties for the world community.”
“The West is very much undermining the institutions of global governance. This is also one of the reasons why more and more people want to join BRICS, the SCO and look for ways to solve emerging economic and financial problems, bypassing any structures where the West is present. This is not a fast process, but reflections on this matter are expanding in the world community,” he said.
At the same time, Lavrov downplayed the idea that Russia is seeking to bring the United States and its dollar to “ruin,” emphasizing that Washington’s own policies are responsible for its decline.
“We are building our policy not against the US, not against the West. The president also spoke about this: we do not want to ruin the dollar, but the US is ceasing to provide a role for the dollar which was acceptable to everyone. That’s the problem,” he said, referencing the use of the American currency to support aggressive sanctions campaigns.
Today, Lavrov noted, none of the so-called reserve currencies – be it the dollar, the euro or even the yen, have proven themselves reliable, with Russia and its partners successfully turning to alternatives, including settlements in local currencies.
“If I’m not mistaken, last year 76 percent of trade and settlements between the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union were carried out no in dollars, but primarily in national and friendly currencies. This year a rate of 90 percent is expected. Therefore, while the process of dedollarization was not an independent goal put forward during the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union…given the actions of the United States, which violated all the principles of the functioning of a market economy which had been promoted by them for many decades, in this situation, of course, we must protect ourselves...”
G20 Summit
Turning to the upcoming 2023 G20 summit, which will kick off in New Delhi next Saturday, Lavrov emphasized that Moscow will refuse to adopt any declaration of the summit if Russia’s position and interests are not taken into account amid attempts by Western countries to “Ukrainianize” the gathering.
“One would think that the issue is closed. But no, during the Indian presidency, which will hold about 200 useful events relating to various sectors of the world economy, the environment, investment issues, settlement mechanisms, and finance, the West raised the topic of Ukraine at each of these events.”
“The Russian Federation will not agree to adopt a G20 summit declaration if it does not reflect Russia’s position on global crises,” Lavrov said, noting that if Western powers have “decided to rewrite the G20’s mandate” to deal with international crises, Russia can remind them of other conflicts underway today “which are rooted in the wars unleashed by the West. If they want, let’s discuss everything,” he said.
Otherwise, Lavrov noted, Russia is working under the auspices of India’s presidency of the event, and sees the summit theme chosen by Delhi – international unity, as absolutely correct.
Syrian-Turkish Roadmap to Peace
Lavrov also commented on the ongoing negotiations on the normalization of relations between Syria and Turkiye – a prospect which emerged earlier this year after Damascus successfully normalized ties with its Arab neighbors. The Syrian government has made normalization contingent on the withdrawal of all Turkish troops from Syrian soil.
“We handed over a draft roadmap [on the normalization of Syrian-Turkish relations, ed.] to all our colleagues in June of this year. It is now under consideration, contacts are ongoing to bring it to a state acceptable by all, for when this project could be approved,” Lavrov said.
The foreign minister recalled that in addition to Russia, Syria and Turkiye, Iran also joined the process.
Lavrov revealed that in informal contacts, Russia proposed that Syria and Turkiye return to the spirit of cooperation of the 1998 Adana Agreement, which allowed Turkish forces to send troops to deal with a terrorist threat in Syria, on the condition that it be approved by Damascus.
“This agreement continues to operate, no one has denounced it,” Lavrov said.
The continued “illegal” US presence in northeast Syria is a roadblock to normalization efforts, Lavrov said.
“It is the United States that to a decisive extent feeds the separatism of radical Kurdish organizations, which are designated by the Turks as a threat to their security, therefore these processes are connected,” he said.
Russia Won’t Rule Out Cooperation With West, But Focusing on New Poles
Commenting on the future of relations between Russia and the West, Lavrov emphasized that even if Western countries suddenly suggested a return to “more or less normal contacts,” Moscow would think twice about doing so. “We will not engage in interaction with the West in areas upon which our security depends, including military-political security, economic and technological security,” he said.
In the meantime, Russia will continue to ramp up its cooperation with its non-Western partners, including India, Iran, China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and African countries.
“These plans are concrete. They are realistic. And they are already yielding impressive results in terms of increasing trade turnover, investment and contacts in other areas, including cultural, humanitarian and sport,” he said.
As for any lingering hopes to return relations between Russia and the West to what they were before the Ukrainian crisis, these are “built on sand,” Lavrov said. “The policy of the West, the course proclaiming the aim of inflicting a strategic defeat of Russia, will not disappear anywhere in the foreseeable future. And we understand this very well,” he stressed.
The experience of the past 30 years has shown that Western countries, in a bid to restrain the development of their competitors, will not hesitate to misuse any agreements that have been reached. “None of the fundamental agreements that were concluded with the West after 1991 were fulfilled. Not a single one,” Lavrov summed up.
