Russia accuses NATO of playing a direct role in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused NATO of playing a direct and dangerous role in the Ukraine crisis, saying Washington has turned Kiev into an existential threat to Moscow that cannot be ignored.

Speaking at an annual press conference in Moscow on Thursday, Lavrov said his country was “obstructing the operation of power facilities (in Ukraine) that allow (the West) to bring lethal weapons into Ukraine to kill Russians”.

“So don’t say that the United States and NATO are not involved in this crisis, you are directly involved, participation is not only in supplying weapons, but also in training personnel: you are training the (Ukrainian) army). on its territory,” he added.

Western countries reject Lavrov’s position.

Lavrov accused the West of trying to use the crisis to destroy Russia, saying: “We are not interested in talking about the West’s interest in reaching some kind of peaceful solution. The West has publicly declared that it doesn’t just want to defeat Russia. on the battlefield, but they say that Russia as a part must be completely destroyed, some even hold special conferences to determine in advance how many parts Russia will be divided into and who will lead which part.

In his speech, Lavrov appears to be referring to statements by some Western politicians who said they wanted to ensure that Russia does not pose a threat to neighboring countries in the future, as well as statements by some Ukrainian politicians who have fueled speculation. Russia managed to maintain its unity as a single country for a long time.

– speak?
While Lavrov spent most of his speech criticizing the West, he made it clear that Russia is open to negotiations with Ukraine and the United States.

Lavrov said that Russia is ready to listen to anyone who wants to negotiate and has never avoided any possible contact between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Lavrov pointed out that his country has shown willingness to discuss the subject after receiving the leaders of Germany and France to discuss the situation in Ukraine.