In a recent press conference held in New York, Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergej Lavrov, made a bold statement, asserting that Western countries, through their support for Ukraine, are essentially waging a direct war against Russia.
He remarked that the West can label the war however they wish, but they are fighting against Russia. Lavrov stated that the West is directly confronting Russia. As reported by the AFP news agency.
Prior to this press briefing, Lavrov addressed the United Nations' annual General Assembly in New York.
During his speech, he accused the West of adopting a "neo-colonial" mindset, trying to persuade countries from different parts of the world to rally behind Ukraine. He also dismissed both Ukraine's peace proposal and the UN's suggestion for a grain agreement.
Lavrov stated unequivocally that neither the ten-point peace plan presented by Ukraine nor the UN's proposal to reinstate the grain export agreement with Ukraine is feasible.
This plan encompasses several key points, including the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, cessation of all hostilities, restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, and allowing Ukraine to resume grain exports. Lavrov added that implementing this is unrealistic. He further warned that if Ukraine and the West remain rigid in their demands, the conflict will ultimately be decided on the battlefield.
Lavrov also expressed skepticism about the UN's proposal to restore the grain agreement that collapsed when Russia withdrew in July. He explained that Russia backed out of the agreement because Western promises to ease sanctions against Russia and reintegrate it into the global SWIFT banking system were not honored.
In a surprising revelation, the Foreign Minister announced his plans to visit North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, next month. This visit aims to continue discussions on the agreements reached between Kim and Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, when Kim visited Russia the previous week.
