Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused European countries of doing “everything they can to thwart” prospects for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine during an address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Lavrov accused the West of “pumping” Ukraine with weapons and helping Kiev target civilians and civilian infrastructure with drones and missiles.
“The West aspires to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, but these aspirations will result in the warmongers being led into a strategic dead end,” he said on Saturday.
Lavrov said that Moscow would achieve its military aims in Ukraine "no matter" the circumstances.
"The aims of the special military operation will be achieved, the threat to Russian security will be eliminated, and peaceful life will come back. This will happen no matter the circumstances," he said.
Middle East
Turning to the Middle East, Lavrov said Russia was convinced it was time to resolve the “main issue” in the region by ensuring Palestinian statehood based on “countless” UN decisions.
He said that Moscow is ready to help stabilise the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf region, as the US-Iran conflict drags on.
"We need trust in the relationships between the Gulf states, the Arab states, and Iran. We need stable regional architecture," Lavrov told leaders at the UN General Assembly.
"Russia, together with other responsible states, stands ready to constructively contribute to stabilising this strategically important region."
He called the killing of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli attacks "unacceptable".
Latin America
He also urged the US to immediately release former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Lavrov called on the United States to lift the 'siege' of Cuba and restrictions on trade with the largest island in the Caribbean.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Lavrov also said the US should strike Cuba off the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
On artificial intelligence, Lavrov said Moscow supports China’s initiative to establish a global organisation for cooperation on AI.
Lavrov-Wadephul meeting
Earlier, Lavrov met with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, the first such meeting since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.
According to the Russian foreign ministry, the top diplomats discussed bilateral relations and “the situation surrounding Ukraine” during talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The ministry stressed that Wadephul “reaffirmed the position of the German government that has been publicly stated on numerous occasions.”
Russia said that the meeting was requested by German officials.
