Lavrov to Sputnik: 'If You Want Peace, Always be Ready to Defend Yourself'

Lavrov says he is for peace, follows philosophy 'if you want peace, always be ready to defend yourself'

Lavrov: Relations between Russia and China are superior in quality to a military alliance; they have no restrictions, limits or taboo topics

China already began to reduce dependence on Western financial mechanisms, Lavrov says

It seems that the West will supply Kiev with modern military equipment together with foreign combat crews, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"All types of weapons that have already been partially transferred, and especially those that have been announced, according to experts, it is impossible for Ukrainians to work on these systems, trained or having passed some two-month or even three-month courses. There are systems, according to specialists, that cannot be trained for in the foreseeable future, and if they are supplied, then most likely it will be done together with combat crews," Lavrov said in an interview with Sputnik.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused the West of wanting to inflict a lasting defeat against Moscow and lashed out against EU chief Ursula von der Leyen who earlier arrived in Kyev.

"Ursula von der Leyen... said that the outcome of the war should be the defeat of Russia, the kind of defeat that for decades, for many decades, Russia cannot restore its economy. Is this not racism, not Nazism -- not an attempt to solve 'the Russian question'" Lavrov said.

Moscow did not turn to Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) partners with a request for assistance in connection with the special operation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"We have not made such a request to anyone. We proceed from the fact that we have everything necessary to solve the tasks of the special military operation, to end the war that the West started through the Ukrainian regime even after the coup d'etat," Lavrov said.

Lavrov: Nuland made a confession, rejoicing at the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines; her words reflect the direct participation of the United States in the terrorist attack

The United States deprives nations of the right to remember their own history; their task is to melt everyone into "Americans"

The presumption that Russia refuses to negotiate on Ukraine is a lie, Moscow will continue to refute this, Lavrov says

The United States "crushed" the European Union under itself, depriving it of the last signs of independence, Lavrov says

The West is hoping for a strategic defeat for Russia so that it cannot recover for decades; we are at the epicenter of a geopolitical battle, Lavrov says

The more long-range weapons are supplied to the Kiev regime by the West, the further they need to be moved away from Russian territory, Lavrov says

Nobody is trying to convince Kiev to return to negotiations with Moscow; Zelensky himself does not feel like an independent figure, he is being manipulated, the Russian foreign minister says

We all want the conflict with Ukraine to end, but the time factor is not the main issue, Lavrov says