The West’s exceptionalism has fueled multiple aggressive wars over the past decades, but the world order is changing, the top diplomat says
© AP / Mary Altaffer
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke at the 77th UN General Assembly on Saturday, explaining Russia’s stance on key international issues, including Moscow’s relationship with the West and the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. After delivering his speech, Lavrov gave a big press conference on the UNGA sidelines.
Russia’s security proposals “arrogantly” rejected by the West
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is largely a result of the inability of the collective West to negotiate with Russia and address its security concerns, Lavrov told the UNGA. All the repeated attempts to establish the rules of co-existence made by Moscow have been ignored, he said.
“We have repeatedly proposed over the years to agree on the rules for coexistence in Europe based on the principle of equal and indivisible security, approved at the highest level of OSCE documents. We made our last proposal to make this principle legally binding in December 2021, to which we received an arrogant refusal,” Lavrov stated.
Ukraine is expendable for the US
Ukraine has become a mere tool for Washington to maintain its global dominance and target Russia, the top diplomat believes.
“It is evident to any unbiased observer: For the Anglo-Saxons, who have completely subjugated Europe, Ukraine is simply expendable material in the fight against Russia. NATO declared our country a direct threat on the path to total US dominance, and named China as a long-term strategic challenge,” Lavrov told the UNGA.
The minister further elaborated on the matter at the press conference after his speech, stating that Moscow already views the US and its NATO bloc as parties to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Recently, Ukrainian military has admitted that the Pentagon chooses its targets, he explained.
“What is this if not a direct participation in aiming of deadly weapons and participation in the war?” Lavrov asked.
Referendums in breakaway Ukrainian regions are in line with Kiev’s wishes
Russia’s top diplomat also touched upon the ongoing referendums in the Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) People’s Republics, as well as in the Russian-controlled parts of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. While the vote has already triggered a “tantrum” in Ukraine and in the West, with the G7 vowing even more anti-Russian sanctions, the referendums are actually fully in line with Kiev’s wishes, Lavrov suggested.
The people living there are essentially only reacting to what President Zelensky recommended for them to do in one of his interviews in August 2021. Back then, he advised everyone who feels Russian to ‘go to Russia’ for the benefit of their children and grandchildren. That’s what the residents of said regions are doing now, taking their lands, on which their ancestors lived for centuries, with them.
US exceptionalism has reached ‘godlike’ level
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Washington’s strive for global domination and exceptionalism has reached an unprecedented height, resulting in multiple aggressive wars and claiming lives of “many hundreds of thousands” of people worldwide, Lavrov stated.
“Having proclaimed victory in the Cold War, Washington elevated itself almost to the rank of the messenger of God on earth, with no obligations, but only ‘sacred’ rights to act with impunity, as it pleases and anywhere,” Lavrov said.
Any nation can fall victim to Washington’s ambitions should it somehow anger the “self-styled masters of the world,” Lavrov warned. That fate has befallen the people of Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and other countries, he added.
EU is sliding into a dictatorship
The EU, while being “subjugated” by the US, is showing the same symptoms of exceptionalism and arrogance, Lavrov believes. The minister recalled fresh remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who threatened Italy with consequences should right-wing candidates sweep to power, as indicated by polls, in Sunday’s election.
“This is arrogance, sense of impunity, exceptionalism. Only they have the right to make judgments. What Mrs. von der Leyen said about the Italian elections was astounding,” Lavrov told reporters, adding that he did not recall such threats made by an EU leader before.
“The European Union, in principle, is becoming an authoritarian, rigid, dictatorial entity,” the top diplomat said.
End of unipolar world is coming
Despite all the effort made by the US, its era of dominance is ending and the unipolar world is crumbling, Lavrov said. He added that the future of the world order is being decided now. The question is whether said order will be with “one hegemon, forcing everyone to live according to its notorious ‘rules’ that are beneficial only to itself,” or will be a truly “democratic, just world without blackmail and intimidation of objectionable people, without neo-Nazism and neo-colonialism,” the diplomat said, adding that Moscow firmly stands by the second option.
“However, objective geopolitical processes are seen by Washington and the ruling elites of Western countries, completely submitted to [the US], as a threat to their dominant position,” Lavrov stated.
