Lavrov warns West of peril in nuclear contest at UN assembly
Sergey Lavrov, the head of Russian diplomacy, addressed the UN General Assembly on Saturday. In his speech, he cautioned the West against engaging in a "struggle for victory with a nuclear power like Russia."
Lavrov suggested that the West "seeks to give Russia a strategic defeat, similar to what the United States and the United Kingdom intended in May 1945."
"Back then, these plans were kept in the strictest secrecy. Today’s Anglo-Saxon strategists do not conceal their intentions, though for now, they hope to defeat Russia using the hands of the illegal neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv. However, they are already preparing Europe to take part in this suicidal escapade. I will not discuss here the senselessness and danger of the very idea of a 'struggle for victory' with a nuclear power like Russia," said Lavrov.
"Equally senseless is the Western supporters of Kyiv insisting there is no alternative to negotiations based on the notorious peace formula," he added, referring to the 10-point peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Lavrov asserted that Russia is not expanding its nuclear arsenal and, despite suspending participation in the New START treaty with Washington, will adhere to it until its expiration in 2026.
The death of Nasrallah is "political assassination"
Lavrov criticised the United States for supporting Israel in its conflicts with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian Hamas fighters in Gaza.
At a subsequent press conference, he described the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Israel's Friday airstrike as a "political assassination." He suggested that Israel might be attempting to draw Iran into a direct conflict.
"In my opinion, there are those who wish to provoke Iran, followed by provoking the United States, thereby triggering a full-scale war throughout the region," he said. He also commended the Iranian authorities' lack of reaction as "extremely responsible behaviour."
