Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov has refuted the claims of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Russia is using tactical nuclear weapons in the ongoing war. In a recent interview with India Today, Lavrov talked at length about Russia’s military strategy in its invasion of Ukraine, how the West has played its part to fuel fire in the tensions between Russia and Ukraine and the role India can play amidst the challenging geopolitical situation.
When India Today Foreign Affairs Editor Geeta Mohan asked Lavrov about Zelenskyy’s claims on Russia planning to use tactical nuclear weapons, he said, “He says many things, depending on what he drinks or smokes.” Lavrov claimed that the West played Zelenskyy against Russia. He said the Ukrainian President’s standing up against Russia in not signing the Minsk agreements was not a far-sighted move. “The West is a broad concept. I mean The US and the Brits, the European Union is just their obedient servant.”
The Minsk agreement consists of measures, including a ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border and implementation of constitutional reform in Ukraine by granting self-government to certain areas of Donbas, which are largely Russia sympathetic.
Talking about Russia’s designs on the possibility to use tactical nuclear weapons in the future, Lavrov said, “We never mentioned Tactical weapons, Zelenskyy talked about this. His intelligence must have provided him with some news. I cannot comment on something which any inadequate person has pronounced.”
While Russia continues to be a nuclear power and a P5 nation, the possibility of nuclear escalation in the ongoing war cannot be completely ruled out. “When in 1987, Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev and American President Ronald Reagen met, they signed a solemn declaration stating that there will be no winners in a nuclear war. When the Trump administration came to power, we decided to put a positive political message to the universe, registering what Gorbachev and Reagen pronounced. Initially, the Trump administration declined but we were encouraged when after five days to President Biden was inaugurated when initially decided to sign the declaration,” Lavrov commented.
He added, “In June 2021, when Biden met President Putin in Geneva, America issued this declaration on our initiative. We started to promote the same commitment in the context of the P5.” Lavrov highlighted that Both the Russian-American statement and the P5 statement were signed on the behest of the Russian Federation’s encouragement.
Russian Foreign Minister on India’s Foreign Policy and Dr. S Jaishankar
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“When the Americans say they want the support democracies, they mean very specific things, that it is up to them to decide who is democracy. When they convened the summit of democracies, you need to see the list of invitees- it is not democracy, it is about something else. Lavrov highlighted that when the Americans put everyone else in the anti-Russian camp including India, China, Turkey, and Egypt which are ‘countries with their own thousands of years of history, Civilization and culture,’ “they are not even publically ashamed to tell you what to do”, he said.
“When it comes to S-400, Anthony Blinken says the United States has not yet decided whether to use sanctions against India for S-400s publically. Later his undersecretary says that the US must help India to understand what is important for its security. What about that?” he asked highlighting the US’ unwanted pressure to take a stand against Russia.
Foreign Minister Lavrov pressed, “But I really respect Subramanian Jaishankar very much, he is a seasoned diplomat and a real patriot of his country. It’s respectful, not too many countries can say something like this.”
