“The possession of nuclear weapons in the context of deterrence is currently Russia’s only possible response to some significant external threats to its security”. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the magazine ‘International Affairs’, recalling that nuclear energy “is exclusively of a defensive nature” and aims “to ensure the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State” and prevent “aggression against Russia and its allies”.
Lavrov noted that the development of the situation around Ukraine has confirmed the validity of Russia’s concerns in this area. According to the Russian Foreign Minister, in the context of the Ukrainian conflict, the great danger lies in the fact that, by escalating the issue, the United States and NATO countries risk finding themselves in a situation of direct armed confrontation between nuclear powers. “We believe that such a development should and can be prevented. Therefore, we are forced to remind about the existence of high military-political risks and send sobering signals,” Lavrov emphasizes.
The minister recalled that Russia “is fully committed to the principle of non-admissibility of a nuclear war, because there can be no winners in a war of this type. Consequently, it should never be started”.
Total assistance from Western countries to Ukraine since the day of the Russian invasion “exceeded $160 billion including military assistance amounting to $75 billion”. “According to calculations by the NGO The Heritage Foundation, the United States has already allocated about 113 billion dollars to Ukraine, i.e. 900 dollars per family. Huge amounts, especially given the difficult situation of the global economy”, Lavrov underlines.
For the foreign minister “about 50 member countries of the Ramstein coalition for military support to Ukraine are actually involved in the armed conflict on the side of the Kiev regime, which does not disdain terrorist methods of warfare. There are large-scale deliveries of weapons western forces to Ukraine, including cluster and long-range weapons”. According to Lavrov “NATO instructors are involved in the planning of operations of the armed forces of Ukraine, NATO intelligence is used”.
Lavrov noted that at the same time, Western leaders repeat like a mantra that they will help Kiev for as long as necessary. “Naturally, fighting to the last Ukrainian is their choice, as well as the decision of the Zelensky clique,” Lavrov emphasizes. “However, historically, the United States has not achieved very good results in supporting its allies”, notes Lavrov recalling the war in Vietnam and support in Afghanistan in 2021. “Today’s Ukraine is almost completely dependent on Western financial injections and arms supplies,” stresses the head of Russian diplomacy. For Lavrov it is important to understand that in the West Russia “wants to eliminate a serious geopolitical competitor. It is for this reason that Washington and Brussels have unleashed a hybrid war against us”, he concludes.
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