Lavrov warns West against challenging Russia's resolve to defend interests

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has reaffirmed a nuclear weapons warning to the West, underlining that Moscow will take all necessary measures to defend its national interests amid rising tensions over Ukraine.

Lavrov said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel on Wednesday that Russia does not seek to escalate the potential use of nuclear weapons amid provocations by the West but warned no one should underestimate Moscow's resolve.

"We do not aim to escalate the risks of nuclear weapon usage as we strongly uphold the principle that there are no winners in a nuclear conflict," the top Russian diplomat said.

"However, I would caution against testing our resolve and commitment to safeguarding our legitimate national interests by any means necessary.”

Stressing that Russian President Vladimir Putin had on several occasions addressed the issue of Moscow’s potential use of nuclear weapons, Lavrov said, "We trust that those who are attentive will listen, and those who are thoughtful will comprehend.”

Lavrov also blamed the West for the escalating tensions and said only Western countries continue to present scenarios that could lead to a nuclear war.

"We have never initiated discussions about what to do with nuclear weapons and whether it's possible to use them," the Russian foreign minister said at the interview.

"On the contrary, it was at Russia's initiative that the Gorbachev-Reagan formula that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed was reinstated first at the level of Putin and Biden and later, at the level of the five nuclear countries that are the permanent members of the UN Security Council. All other proposals, including concepts for a nuclear war or similar statements, have exclusively originated from Western capitals.”

Lavrov also touched on threatening statements by German, British and French officials about their nuclear stockpiles and the potential use of nuclear weapons.

“The Chief of Staff of the German army recently declared with pride: ‘Let Russia not try too hard to intimidate us, but remember that NATO is a nuclear alliance.’ Everyone recalls the comment by [former British Prime Minister] Liz Truss, who during her tenure, openly stated that she would not hesitate to press the nuclear button. French officials have also reminded the global community that their nation is a nuclear power," he said.

"Just recently, a Pentagon general publicly suggested that, if necessary, limited nuclear strikes could be exchanged with Russia, ensuring a victory in the process."

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Elsewhere in the interview, Lavrov stressed that Moscow has no illusions regarding prospects of an easy settlement of the Ukraine conflict.

He said, "We have never had or have any illusions that the Ukraine crisis can be resolved easily. Because it has long been clear to any unbiased observer that it can be resolved exclusively in the context of agreements on reliable security and stability [guarantees] in Europe that would take into account the interests of the Russian Federation and, certainly, the legitimate interests of all other countries."

Lavrov underlined, "The Kiev regime plays into the hands the West, which needs to remove such a strong competitor as Russia from the international scene."

"The West wants to do away with any competitor," he emphasized. "Ukraine has been chosen as a weapon against us."

Regarding the arrival of the Trump Administration and an endgame in Ukraine, he said, “As I earlier mentioned, we have no illusions. There is a fairly robust bipartisan consensus in Washington on supporting the Kiev regime.”

“US doctrinal documents describe our country as an adversary that needs to be strategically defeated. In free speeches, the Biden administration officials have even called us an enemy,” Lavrov noted.

Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 partly to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was following an “aggressive line” against Moscow.

Since then, the West has flooded Ukraine with a vast volume of Western arms and ammunition despite continued warnings by Moscow against the uselessness of sending tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Kiev.

US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war when he takes office in January.

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