Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave an 80-minute interview to Tucker Carlson
Sergey Lavrov gave an 80-minute interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson. The Russian Foreign Minister assessed relations between Moscow and Washington, commented on the Oreshnik missile test, and explained why Russia launched a special operation in Ukraine.
On relations with the US:
– Russia sees no reason why Moscow and Washington cannot co-operate for the sake of the universe;
– Russia does not think about a war with the US and does not want one; such a war could be nuclear in nature, the main thing for Moscow is to avoid it;
– Russia and the US are not officially at war, what is happening in Ukraine is a hybrid war;
– There are channels of communication between Russia and the US, there are several, but they are mainly involved in the issue of exchange of people serving time in both countries;
– Donald Trump is a strong man, he is quite friendly, but that doesn’t mean he is pro-Russian.
‘We do not see any reason why Russia and the United States cannot co-operate for the sake of the universe,’ Lavrov said.
On the risk of nuclear war:
– Western statements about Moscow’s lack of ‘red lines’ and their shifting are a very serious mistake;
– Talking about a limited exchange of nuclear strikes is an invitation to a catastrophe that Russia does not want.
‘If they (US officials – Editor’s note) follow the logic that some Westerners have been voicing lately, that, say, don’t believe that Russia has ‘red lines’, yes they have declared them, but these ‘red lines’ are shifting again, then this is a very serious mistake,’ the foreign minister warned.
On the Oreshnik strike:
– Moscow will be ready to use any means to prevent the West from inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia;
– Russia does not want to aggravate the situation, hopes its signal to the US in the form of the Oreshnik test was taken seriously;
– Russia, by testing Oreshnik, wanted to convey to the West that it would do anything to protect its interests;
– Russia was ready to send additional ‘messages’ to the West if they did not draw the necessary conclusions in light of the Oreshnik launch;
– The US knew in advance about the Oreshnik launch and did not see the test launch as something truly dangerous.
‘We don’t want to aggravate the situation. But because ATACMS and other long-range weapons are being used across Russia, we are sending signals. We hope that the last one (a couple of weeks ago) from the new Oreshnik system was taken seriously,’ the minister said.
On the special operation in Ukraine:
– Russia would not have launched SMO if the West and Kyiv had honoured the Minsk agreements;
– Moscow does not intend to destroy Ukrainians, they are brothers and sisters for the Russian people;
– One should not think that Russia and the States are solving the Ukraine issue for everyone, this is not Moscow’s style;
– Russia hears changes in Zelenskyy’s and the West’s statements on the conflict in Ukraine;
– Zelenskyy is inadequate if he wants Russian speakers back after saying ‘special people.’
– The West is covering up the disruption of talks between Moscow and Kyiv in spring 2022 with a provocation in Bucha;
– Some capitals are tired of the Ukrainian conflict and there is talk that the US wants to leave it to Europe;
– Russia has realised that it is better to count on itself rather than on the lifting of sanctions.
‘When Ukraine and its sponsors launched Plan B, trying to take over this (Eastern. – Editor’s note) part of Donbass by force, that’s when we launched a special military operation. If they had fulfilled the Minsk agreements, Ukraine would have been united,’ Lavrov explained.
On the worsening situation in Syria:
– The US, Britain and other states, according to open information, are supporting Islamist groups in Syria – it’s a complicated game;
– Russia wants to discuss with Turkiye and Iran how to cut off channels of financing and arming Islamist groups in Syria.
‘We would like to discuss the need to return to the strict implementation of the Idlib agreements, because the Idlib de-escalation zone has become the place from where terrorists moved to seize Aleppo,’ the minister told.
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