Sergey Lavrov

Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (born 21 March 1950) is a Russian Armenian diplomat who has been the Foreign Minister of Russia since 2004. Apart from this, he is also known for his strong stance against the foreign military intervention against Syria, and Libya during the civil war. He has also opposed the sanctions against Syria, Iran, and North Korea.

Quotes

 * Well I believe all participants of the six party talks should use their bilateral channels to send necessary messages to North Koreans. Some of us like China and Russia have more channels if you wish. Japan and South Korea have their own. And the United States could also help by stating their strong commitment to the negotiating process, to the six party talks, and I am glad that that's what we hear from Washington in response to the North Korean announcement.
 * From Transcript, February (2005)


 * I am very pleased to be here in Israel, the land of our friends, friends who are going through a complex period like their neighbors. We are convinced that the efforts of all countries and governments in the region will find a way to reach peace and long-term security. I have arrived here after visiting Beirut and Damascus and I want to tell the Prime Minister and all other ministers that today, everyone wants peace more than ever, peace and security. Now, the preferred position is that of those who do not want to live amidst endless arguments about who was right first and last. Everybody wants to sit around the negotiating table. Everyone aspires to reach decisions that will be acceptable to all and certainly to Israel. We always point out the Russian Federation’s full agreement that the State of Israel has the full right to peace and security. We are convinced that that there is no other way to resolve this problem except through peace.  We are certain that UN Security Council Resolution #1701, that we all worked on together, will be carried out in full by all sides. We think that the abductees should be released as soon as possible and we are also convinced that the military blockade of Lebanon must be lifted and that the Lebanese army needs to deploy in southern Lebanon in order to facilitate the Israeli army’s withdrawal as quickly as possible. But we are convinced that peace is attainable only if an international conference - with the participation of all sides - convenes. Lastly, I would like to point out that we are very much looking forward to the Prime Minister’s visit to Moscow in order to discuss bilateral relations.
 * In Israel, where he meets the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, {{September 2006))


 * As to the second question about Gabala Radar Station, I think that you are under the influence of what was previously customary to call "western propaganda." As Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said in public, which was reconfirmed during his preliminary consultations with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, we perceive no threat from Iran. We do not understand why to justify construction of elements of a US missile defense system in Europe they should be using a thesis about a threat from Iran. We have repeatedly adduced facts, assessments, and professional estimates showing that there is no such threat, which President Putin particularly emphasized. If the American side has suspicions about the presence of any such threat, they can easily be removed by the real-time use of information from Gabala Radar Station. Today I told my friend and colleague, Mr. Mottaki, as well as the President of Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad, about this. My firm impression is that our explanation was received with full understanding.
 * Answering the press questions, in Teheran, June 20, 2007.


 * There was an attack on our citizens in South Ossetia since most people had a Russian passport and thus Russian citizenship.
 * Talking about the Georgian War(2008), he also adds that Georgia also attacked Russian peacekeepers who were located there


 * Ha! I’ve heard about these reports. I think it’s another provocation, coming just before NATO war games on Georgian territory that were in complete disregard of Russia’s warnings. If this is aimed at drawing other participants of the war games into the conflict — prompted by statements from the Georgian government — then this only proves that we were 100% right when we warned those taking part in the war games not to do so as it will lead heighten tensions sharply.
 * Regarding the reported coup in Georgia. Interview with Euronews (May 2009)


 * Instead of the negative and relative stability of Cold War times, we all need positive stability based on collective interaction, an indifferently correct neighborhood is impossible on our continent. The principle of indivisibility of European security should be legally binding, relations between the US, Europe and Russia need a qualitatively new interaction that could help solve common and global challenges.
 * In his speech from April 2010


 * We believe that the coalition's intervention in the civil war in Libya has not, essentially, been sanctioned by the UN Security Council resolution, its only purpose is to ensure the protection of the civilian population.
 * Intervention in Libya at odds with UN resolution (March 2011)


 * We think that additional steps, including the cancellation of the no-fly zone, should be taken.
 * Time to abolish no-fly zone over Libya, (September 2011).


 * Members of the international community, first of all our Western partners, have chosen the path of supporting one of the sides in the civil war – probably the party that represented the Libyan people's legitimate aspirations, but this still increased the number of casualties among the civilian population.
 * Saying that NATO's interference in Libya caused more casualties {December 2011)


 * It is no accident that the Office of UN High Commissioner on Human Rights stated today that all circumstances of his (Gaddafi's) death must be investigated and I fully agree that such an investigation will be conducted.
 * He said that Muammar Gaddafi's death should be investigated, as he shouldn't have been killed, (October 2011)


 * If something goes wrong in Syria, many countries of the region will feel a negative impact. We can’t support isolation because of the lesson we drew from Libya.
 * "We won’t let Syria become 2nd Libya"(November 2011)


 * We believe this would be a huge mistake and we hope that this would never happen.
 * Lavrov warns any attack on Iran, whether by Israel or any other, (November 2011)


 * As the Libyan experience has shown, sadly, a military scenario is possible. We won’t allow any more such disingenuous interpretations. We will see to it that no resolution is open to interpretation like the one on Libya.
 * Moscow to Block Any Bid for Force Against Iran, October 2012


 * Absolutely no evidence.
 * When asked if Iran has decided to include a military component in its nuclear program, (October 2012).


 * We discussed this issue. We welcome steps Pakistan and India have taken on confidence-building measures. Both countries are capable of settling their issues on their own without any foreign assistance
 * Lavrov says no to Russian role in resolving Kashmir issue, (October 2012).


 * Congress is a very special group of people. More than 80 percent of them [have] never left the United States. They live in their own walls. So I’m not amazed about this Russophobia which is being displayed by the Congress at the moment.
 * "Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov says 80% of U.S. lawmakers have never traveled abroad", Politfact, 17 December 2014


 * A new reality is being formed: the unipolar world is irrevocably becoming a thing of the past, a multipolar one is taking shape. It’s an objective process. It’s unstoppable. In this reality, more than one power will “rule” – it will be necessary to negotiate between all the key states that today have a decisive influence on the world economy and politics. At the same time, realizing their special situation, these countries ensure compliance with the basic principles of the UN Charter, including the fundamental one – the sovereign equality of states. No one on this Earth should be seen as a minor player. Everyone is equal and sovereign.
 * As quoted in Meet the New, Resource-Based Global Reserve Currency, 31 March 2022


 * As for some UN experts conducting some kind of research about the alleged crimes of the Wagner private military company, I am not aware of any UN experts being empowered to consider any aspect of war crimes, no matter who committed them.
 * "Lavrov Says UN Experts Not Empowered To Investigate Wagner's Alleged War Crimes In Mali", UrduPoint, 7 February 2023

About the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014

 * We have absolutely no intention of — or interest in — crossing Ukraine's borders.
 * "Russia Says It Doesn't Plan To Invade Ukraine", NPR, 29 March 2014

News conference following the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council, Milan, Italy (7 December 2018)
Full Text online

International Law
 * We see that our colleagues from the NATO countries are pursuing a policy of containing Russia, increasing their military activity on our borders, creating a military infrastructure on the “eastern front”, as they say, and resorting to unsubstantiated accusations instead of diplomatic methods...
 * It is also alarming that our Western colleagues use the term “international law” less and less often. Instead, they talk more about a rules-based order... something they can invent themselves... We urge our colleagues to comply with the agreements reached within the framework of international law.

Unfounded accusations
 * Several years ago, the United States started accusing Russia of violating the INF Treaty, without providing any evidence. We basically had to pry the information from the US, information that would help us understand... what they meant. The US eventually mentioned the 9M729 missile, claiming that it had been tested on certain days at a certain testing site, and that the range violated the treaty’s provisions. Our data concerning these tests showed the opposite. The missile’s range is allowed under the treaty.
 * NATO foreign ministers met several days ago to support the US position. According to media reports, they did this after Washington presented certain irrefutable documents confirming that the treaty was violated. If this is so, we have not received any such documents from the US side. This is what we have been asking the US to do for a long time. We are still ready for a serious and professional discussion. Instead, the Americans resort to unfounded accusations, and again and again, from high rostrums, make allegations for the entire international community to hear about things that should first be clarified with the other party to the treaty. This would be a more appropriate, polite and correct approach.
 * When we are accused...Every time a problem occurs, we ask very specific questions. For example, the crash of the Malaysian Boeing in Ukrainian airspace in July 2014. Where is the data from the Ukrainian radars? We provided our data. Where are the records of what the Ukrainian dispatchers said? No answer. Where is the data from American satellites that surely exists? No answer again. The questions are very specific. So in the case of Salisbury, where are the Skripals? There is no room for “highly likely” here. There can only be two answers here: yes or no, alive or not. Therefore, it is very difficult...

The INF & START Treaties
 * We have come up with proposals that we have repeatedly made available to the United States, including in Helsinki, when President Putin met with President Trump. I myself presented one such proposal to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. We re-submitted our proposals during a visit by US National Security Adviser John Bolton to Moscow in August and later in October, when he was in Moscow again. These proposals are about starting a serious, candid and professional dialogue on the INF Treaty, compliance with the START Treaty, and a number of other proposals regarding our approaches to ​​strategic stability. We got nothing in response from the US partners. We occasionally remind them about it. They keep saying that we need to correct our mistakes and stop the violations.
 * The people I met with yesterday, including German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, expressed concern about this situation. If they are concerned, they should talk to their ally, the United States, and have the US sit down and talk substantively, rather than accuse us without any grounds from across the ocean. We are ready for such a dialogue and suggested considering the INF Treaty at the Russia-NATO Council. In response, our NATO colleagues completely blocked all communication channels between the Russian and NATO military...

Ukraine
 * In 2014, our Western colleagues “swallowed” the anti-constitutional armed coup in Ukraine, and since then they’ve been unable to hold that government accountable, although they have long since understood who they are dealing with. Having once branded them democrats and partners, they cannot publicly criticise them now. That's the problem.
 * President Poroshenko and his regime enjoy impunity and plan provocations like the one that occurred at the entrance to the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea. Literally a day after this blatant provocation, the text of the order...was found on one of the boats... It said that the boats should covertly, without requesting authorisation of the Russian authorities...Why?...There may only be one answer: they wanted to provoke a scandal.
 * A day after that, President Poroshenko declared martial law, and three days later the US declared that they need to increase their military presence in the Black Sea.... an incident was inflated into a scandal... used to shore up the absolutely groundless hopes of the incumbent president of Ukraine... in line with the US plans to build up its military presence near our shores. If you follow the logic of “who stands to gain?” you can draw your own conclusions.


 * We are concerned about what the US and its closest allies are doing with respect to Venezuela, brazenly violating all imaginable norms of international law and actually openly pursuing the policy aimed at overthrowing the legitimate government in that Latin American country... US companies operating in Venezuela are exempt from these sanctions. In other words, they wish to topple the government and derive material gains from this... According to our sources, the leaders of the opposition movement who have declared ‘dual power’ are in fact receiving instructions from Washington not to make any concessions until the authorities agree to abdicate in some way. Together with other responsible members of the international community, we will do everything to support President Maduro’s legitimate government in upholding the Venezuelan constitution and employing methods to resolve the crisis that are within the constitutional framework...Given signals coming from the EU and... Caribbean countries, as well as...China and India... we would like to figure out what the international community could do to prevent another blatant violation of international law and violent regime change... This is what I discussed yesterday with the Iranian foreign minister, who - just like us - wants to find an opportunity for external players to prove themselves useful to the Venezuelan people.
 * Quoted in US policy aimed at toppling Venezuela’s government, Tass (29 January 2019)


 * What do they mean by insolent remarks that the countries external to the Western Hemisphere are not allowed to have any interests there?... Take a look at the map of the U.S. military bases—the whole world is dotted with red spots and each of them poses rather serious risks.
 * Quoted in Common Dreams, Rejecting Demand to Leave Venezuela, Russia's Lavrov Says 'Whole World Dotted' With US Soldiers, Eoin Higgins, (4 April 2019)


 * We are already used to the fact that the United States and other Western countries simply announce in the media yet another set of accusations against Russia, be it hackers, or some kind of a sensation about the double or even triple poisoning of Navalny. All this news is funny to read, but it says only one thing -- or rather the manner in which this news is presented says only one thing -- that our Western partners do not have any ethical standards and lack skill in normal diplomatic work, and [have] unwillingness to comply with the international legal norms when it comes to finding the facts.
 * "Russian minister says Navalny poisoning reports 'funny to read'", CNN, 16 December 2020


 * In a number of Western countries, students learn at school that Jesus Christ was bisexual.
 * From Lavrov's opinion piece titled "The Law, Rights, and the Rules" published in "Russia in Global Affairs" on 28 June 2021. Russian media identified the likely source of this claim to a single TikTok video where an Australian mother recorded her children discussing Jesus being "bi and non-binary” because “he loves everyone in the world” and "he wears a dress and he’s a man".


 * We know the manners and the tricks that are being used by the western countries to manipulate media, we understood long ago that there is no such thing as an independent western media
 * Russian foreign minister praises Fox News coverage of war in Ukraine (Fri 18 Mar 2022)

About the Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022

 * Any human life is priceless.
 * Our military personnel who are now involved in this special operation have a very strict order to only use high precision military equipment to suppress the military infrastructure.
 * The questions I receive are as if no one listens.
 * "‘You’re being emotional’: What happened when I asked Sergei Lavrov about the blood on his hands", Independent, 3 March 2022


 * We are not planning to attack other countries. We didn’t attack Ukraine in the first place.
 * "Kremlin’s Lavrov Somehow Manages to Say ‘We Didn’t Attack Ukraine’ With Straight Face", The Daily Beast, 10 March 2022


 * With Ukraine... we didn't just get up and go to war against Ukraine [just because] we didn't like Zelenskyy, or because he stopped appearing in KVN [a Russian and formerly Soviet comedy TV show and international competition] and stopped maintaining his theatre, Kvartal 95 [a publicly owned television production company founded by Volodymyr Zelenskyy]. It was for a reason; we warned [Ukraine] for many, many, many years.
 * "Russian Foreign Minister openly admits that his country 'went to war against Ukraine'", Yahoo News, 1 December 2022


 * We see how dangerously our Western colleagues, including in the European Union, are acting now, which, in violation of all its so-called principles and values, encourages the supply of deadly weapons to Ukraine.
 * "Fury as Lavrov brands outcry over maternity unit strike which killed three as 'pathetic'", LBC, 10 March 2022


 * It is not the first time we have seen pathetic outcries concerning the so-called atrocities perpetrated by the Russian military
 * "Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claims Russia ‘didn’t attack Ukraine’", New York Post, 10 March 2022


 * We will deal with Ukraine and we will resolve the future of Ukraine.
 * We proposed not creating any threat on the ground and Putin explained very clearly why he took the decision to conduct this special military operation.
 * "'Why should we believe you?' Sky News reporter brutally confronts Lavrov over vile attack", Express, 11 March 2022


 * So when they say ‘How can Nazification exist if we’re Jewish?’ In my opinion, Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it doesn’t mean absolutely anything. For some time we have heard from the Jewish people that the biggest antisemites were Jewish.
 * "Israel lashes out at Russia over Lavrov's Nazism remarks", Spectrum News 1 / Associated Press, 2 May 2022


 * If you are worried about the prospect of war in Europe - we do not want that at all.
 * "Lavrov Says Russia Does Not Want War in Europe", US News/Reuters, 11 May 2022


 * The EU has evolved from a constructive economic platform, as it was created, to an aggressive and belligerent player which already displays its ambitions far beyond the European continent.
 * "EU has become aggressive and bellicose amid Ukraine war, says Russia's Lavrov", Euronews, 13 May 2022


 * The West has declared war on us, on the whole Russian world. The culture of canceling Russia and everything connected with our country is already reaching the point of absurdity.
 * It is safe to say that this situation will be with us for a long time.
 * In many Western countries, everyday Russophobia has become of an unprecedented nature, and, to our great regret, is encouraged by government circles in a number of countries.
 * "West has declared ‘total war’ on Russia: Lavrov", Hurriyet Daily news, 27 May 2022


 * International officials, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and, to my great regret, the UN Secretary-General and many other UN representatives, are subjected to pressure from the West and often act as mouthpieces for fake news.
 * Claimed, without providing evidence, quoted in "Lavrov: UN Officials Act As 'mouthpieces For Fake News' On Russia Due To West's Pressure", Republic World, 17 June 2022


 * We did not invade Ukraine. We declared a special military operation because we had absolutely no other way of explaining to the west that dragging Ukraine into Nato was a criminal act.
 * "Russia has ‘strategically lost’ war, says UK defence chief, as Lavrov says Moscow unashamed", The Guardian, 17 June 2022


 *  Russia has an unblemished reputation and is not ashamed.
 * "Lavrov told the BBC: Russia is Not Ashamed", Novinie, 17 June 2022


 * The Russian people in Ukraine continued to be discriminated against across the board. Laws banning the Russian language were adopted and Nazi practices (theory and practice of Nazism) were established.
 * Claimed without providing evidence, quoted in "Ukraine adopted 'laws banning the Russian language': False", Politfact, 8 June 2022


 * I didn’t invite anyone to pose for a photo together with me.
 * Said after several G20 representatives refused to join a group photo session together with Lavrov, quoted in "Vladimir Putin lackey Sergey Lavrov storms out of G20 after photo snub", New York Post, 8 July 2022


 * The geography is different. This is far from being only the DPR and LPR.  It is also the Kherson region, the Zaporizhzhia region and a number of other territories, and this process continues, and continues consistently and persistently.
 * We cannot allow the part of Ukraine that Zelenskyy, or whoever replaces him, will control to have weapons that will pose a direct threat to our territory and the territory of those republics that have declared their independence, those who want to determine their future on their own.
 * If the West delivers long-range weapons to Kyiv, the geographic goals of the special operation in Ukraine will expand even more.
 * Said about changing Russian goals to attack and occupy larger parts of Ukraine, quoted in "West giving arms to Ukraine will expand Russian aims: Russia", Anadolu Agency, 20 July 2022 and "Russian FM Lavrov Says Moscow's Objectives In Ukraine Now Go Beyond Donbas", RadioFeeEurope Radio Liberty, 20 July 2022


 * We are determined to help the people of eastern Ukraine to liberate themselves from the burden of this absolutely unacceptable regime.
 * We will certainly help the Ukrainian people to get rid of the regime, which is absolutely anti-people and anti-historical.
 * "Russia seeks regime change in Ukraine, says Kremlin’s top diplomat", The Sunday Morning Herald, 26 July 2022


 * This war is being controlled by the Anglo-Saxons.
 * "Russia's Lavrov says U.S. de facto involved in Ukraine war", Euronews, 10 December 2022


 * When we speak about what is happening in Ukraine - it is a war, not a hybrid one, almost a real war, that the West has been plotting for a long time against Russia.
 * "Conflict with West 'almost a real war', says Russia", The Telegraph, 23 January 2023


 * The political goal of the United States is directed against the friendship of Moscow and Kyiv.
 * "Лавров: политическая цель США направлена против дружбы Москвы и Киева", RIA Novosti, 12. februar 2023


 * Zelenskyy smokes or injects himself or snorts so much stuff that it is impossible to comment on his words.
 * "VIDEO: Russia's Info War", ABC Net, 23 February 2023
 * The war, which we are trying to stop, which was launched against us using Ukrainian people,  of course, influenced the policy of Russia, including energy policy.
 * "Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov provokes laughter with claim his country is victim in Ukraine war", Sky News, 4 March 2023

Quotes about Sergey Lavrov

 * Minister Lavrov said that clearly said we cannot sit with the American to define what Syrian wants to do, this is Syrian's issue, only the Syrian people can define the future of their country and how to solve their problems.
 * Bashar al-Assad, Interview with Bill Neely (July 2016) on "NBC: Exclusive Interview with Bashar al-Assad"


 * Unfortunately, it is a classical step, when an occupant state is trying to make legitimate its unlawful decision. It is an attempt, which will remain unsuccessful.
 * Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, Nino Kalandadze, commenting on Lavrov's visit to Abkhazia.


 * On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that any U.S. presence in a CSTO country would need the approval of the alliance, which the Kremlin will veto. One might suggest that there is mistrust about the reliability of Joe Biden and company as a strategic partner, even though there is widespread concern that Afghanistan might become a rogue state. Nevertheless, Washington’s bullying in Iraq, Syria and also against Iran has failed to convince anyone that the U.S. Air Force would make a good neighbor....
 * Philip Giraldi in Whither Afghanistan? Getting Out Is Harder Than Getting In, Philip Giraldi, Strategic Culture, (July 22, 2021)


 * In 18 years, he went from a professional and educated intellectual, whom many my colleagues held in such high esteem [sic], to a person who constantly … threatens the world (that is, Russia too) with nuclear weapons!
 * Boris Bondarev, senior Russian diplomat who defected, quoted in "Top Russian diplomat to UN resigns over Ukraine war", 23. may 2022