Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answered questions on Friday from American journalist Tucker Carlson, who travelled to Moscow for this interview.
Russian-American relations
Speaking on the Russian-American relations issue, Lavrov said that Moscow would like to have normal relations with Washington, but the US is waging a hybrid war against Russia in Ukraine. He noted that the Ukrainians could not do what they are doing with modern long-range weapons without Washington’s direct involvement.
At the same time, strikes are being carried out on Russian territories with US ATACMS missiles and other weapons, Lavrov pointed out.
Answering the question about what Moscow wanted to say with the test of the Oreshnik missile system, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 21, Lavrov said that Russia is ready to respond by all means to the West’s attempts to inflict a strategic defeat on it.
The diplomat stressed that the US and its allies supplying long-range weapons to Kyiv should understand that Russia will be ready to use any means. He noted that this step was taken in response to the escalation by Western countries in Ukraine and expressed hope that this signal would be taken seriously.
Lavrov also pointed out that while representatives of the West are fighting to preserve their hegemony around the world, Russia is fighting for its legitimate security interests.
Ukrainian conflict issue
Speaking about the possibility of settling the Ukrainian conflict, the diplomat said that Russia has no intention to destroy the Ukrainian people, as Ukrainians are “brothers and sisters” for Russians.
Lavrov recalled that it was not Russia that started the Ukrainian conflict, but as soon as the coup d’état took place in Ukraine, the US did not even hide its participation in it.
The minister pointed out that the solution to the Ukrainian crisis did not depend only on Moscow and Washington, as some politicians believe. Stressing that this does not correspond to reality, Lavrov said:
“Europeans are whispering to each other, saying that it is not for Volodymyr Zelensky to dictate the terms of negotiations, this is the domain of the US and Russia.”
He recalled that Russia adheres to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, which speaks about the sovereign equality of states.
Continuing the discussion, the minister said Moscow was ready to negotiate on the basis of the agreements reached in Istanbul in spring 2022, naming Ukraine’s non-aligned status as one of the key principles.
On US President-elect Donald Trump
The minister characterised US President-elect Donald Trump as “a strong man who does not like to postpone things for later.”
In addition, Lavrov noted Trump’s friendliness in conversation. But, according to him, this does not mean that he is pro-Russian, recalling the number of anti-Russian sanctions imposed during his first presidency.
The diplomat also added that Russia has withstood the sanctions imposed by the West, becoming stronger, and continues to develop co-operation with friendly countries.
On the situation in Syria
Commenting on the situation with the activation of militants in Syria, Lavrov noted that the Americans “feed” Kurdish separatists in the east of the country with the funds received from the sale of oil and grain.
The diplomat said that in the near future Russia intends to discuss with Turkey and Iran how to block the channels of arms and financing of Islamist groups in Syria.
He added that another meeting in the Astana format is planned before the end of this year or in the new year to resolve the situation. Such meetings, as the minister pointed out, are held on a regular basis.
Earlier, on February 9, Carlson interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin.
