UNGA 77: Lavrov Exposes the West’s Role in Inciting Ukrainian Conflict, Defends Moscow’s Actions

While some leaders – most of them Western politicians, who took the stage at the UN General Assembly during the last week focused on criticizing Russia for its special military operation in Ukraine, the situation on Saturday looked different: Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Thai and other leaders whose who took the stage on Saturday did not use the same damning rhetoric in regards to Moscow’s actions in Ukraine as Dutch, Belgian or the US leadership.

Analysis

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21 September 2022, 17:54 GMT

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi focused on his country’s achievements in the areas of the economy, human rights protection and multilateralism.

Unlike the US leader Joe Biden, the President of the European Council Charles Michel or Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte who have all mentioned in their speeches the so-called “rules-based international order”, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said that his nation would rather adhere to international law:

“China has been upholding the international order. We are committed to the principles of the UN charter, the UN-centered international system, and the international order based on international law.”

Beijing’s position on the issue looks similar to what Russian leadership has been talking about for years. Moscow’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov, who also delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, has once again underlined Russia’s position in a multipolar world order, calling for a democratic and just world, without hegemony, Neo-Nazism and Neo-colonialism, and slamming the “rules-based” world order concept.

Sergey Lavrov has also focused on the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine, putting the blame for inciting the violence on the US and its western allies, whom he holds responsible for igniting a coup d’etat against President Yanukovich in Kiev in 2014:

“By request from the US and the EU we have supported agreements of then-president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovich with the opposition on settling the crisis in 2014” – said Lavrov – “These agreements were guaranteed by Germany, Poland and France, but overnight they were dissolved by the leaders of a bloody coup, who have humiliated the European mediators.”

The topic of Ukraine dominated Sergey Lavrov’s news conference which was also held at the UN Headquarters on Saturday. When asked by an American journalist about the possibility of settling the conflict, the Russian diplomat said that Moscow has already tried taking part in direct talks with Kiev in the Spring of 2022, but the outcome was sabotaged by the US and the EU:

“We had a meeting in Istanbul in March, where we have been presented with a document which laid out “the principles of settlement” – said Lavrov – “We have responded positively to this document, and we have used these principles as the base of a treaty. We gave it to the Ukrainian side. But then Bucha happened,- and we would like to see the names of the victims of that event, and then the Americans have told Ukraine that they shouldn’t take Russia’s offer now, and they should achieve some success in the battlefield first. And [Josep] Borrel, who has to take care of diplomacy – he’s the top diplomat [of the EU] - has later said that this conflict should be solved through Ukraine’s victory in the battlefield.”

While talking about his bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Sergey Lavrov said that while Moscow has been prepared for all sorts of contacts at the event, many leaders were seemingly afraid of establishing such contacts, or worse - were prohibited by the EU officials to talk to the head of the Russian diplomacy:

“As I have told you, they have prohibited the President of Cyprus from coming to talks. One representative was from one of “the five” [nuclear] states, the other one was also from a well-respected country – they have also contacted us. They have been asking timidly or even conspirationally for a confidential meeting. I said – sure, but they didn’t come. Same story with another prime minister. So, let’s not be calling us quitters.”

Russian, Indian, South African, Chinese, and Brazilian diplomats have had numerous meetings with Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the main UN event, including BRICS talks, which seemed like a powerful club of like-minded politicians with BRICS nations representing about 40% of the world’s population. Their position on the Ukrainian issue was reflected in a declaration, which calls for peaceful talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Among others who chose to openly communicate with Russia’s top diplomat were the representatives of Cuba, Venezuela, Serbia, Hungary, Bahrain, Mexico, the UAE and other nations.

On Saturday, Sergey Lavrov concluded his visit to the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.