[RIA] Sergey Lavrov gave an 80-minute interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry assessed relations between Moscow and Washington, commented on the test of the Oreshnik missile, and also explained why Russia launched a special operation in Ukraine.
On relations with the USA:
- Russia sees no reason why Moscow and Washington cannot cooperate for the sake of the Universe;
- Russia does not think about war with the USA and does not want it; such a war could be nuclear in nature; the main thing for Moscow is to avoid it;
- Russia and the United States are not officially at war, what is happening in Ukraine is a hybrid war;
- There are several channels of communication between Russia and the United States, but they are mainly used for the exchange of people serving sentences in both countries;
- Donald Trump is a strong man, he is very friendly, but this does not mean that he is pro-Russian.
"We see no reason why Russia and the United States cannot cooperate for the sake of the Universe," Lavrov said.
On the risk of nuclear war:
- The West’s statements about Moscow’s lack of “red lines” and their shifting are a very serious mistake;
- Talk of a limited nuclear exchange is an invitation to disaster that Russia does not want.
"If they (American officials - Ed.) follow the logic that some Westerners have been voicing recently, that, they say, don't believe that Russia has 'red lines', yes, they have declared them, but these 'red lines' are shifting again, then this is a very serious mistake," the head of the MFA warned.
About the "Oreshnik" strike:
- Moscow will be ready to use any means to prevent the West from inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia;
- Russia does not want to aggravate the situation and hopes that its signal to the US in the form of the Oreshnik test was taken seriously;
- Russia, having tested the Oreshnik, wanted to convey to the West that it would do everything to protect its interests;
- Russia is ready to send additional "messages" to the West if they do not draw the necessary conclusions in light of the launch of Oreshnik;
- The US knew about the launch of Oreshnik in advance and did not see anything truly dangerous in the test launch.
"We do not want to aggravate the situation. But since ATACMS and other long-range weapons are used on Russian territory, we are sending signals. We hope that the latest (a couple of weeks ago) from the new Oreshnik system was taken seriously," the minister noted.
About the special operation in Ukraine:
- Russia would not have started the SVO if the West and Kyiv had complied with the Minsk agreements;
- Moscow does not intend to destroy Ukrainians, they are brothers and sisters for the Russian people;
- You shouldn’t think that Russia and the United States are deciding the Ukrainian issue for everyone; this is not Moscow’s style;
- Russia hears changes in statements from Zelensky and the West on the conflict in Ukraine;
- Zelensky is inadequate if he wants to bring back Russian speakers after his words about “special individuals”;
- The West is covering up the breakdown of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in the spring of 2022 with a provocation in Bucha;
- Some capitals are tired of the Ukrainian conflict, and there is talk that the US wants to leave it to Europe;
- Russia has realized that it is better to rely not on the lifting of sanctions, but on itself.
"When Ukraine and its sponsors launched plan B, trying to seize this (Eastern. - Ed.) part of Donbas by force, that's when we launched a special military operation. If they had fulfilled the Minsk agreements, Ukraine would have been a single whole," Lavrov explained.
On the escalation of the situation in Syria:
- The US, Britain and other countries, according to open information, support Islamist groups in Syria - it's a complicated game;
- Russia wants to discuss with Turkey and Iran how to cut off the channels of financing and arming Islamist groups in Syria.
"We would like to discuss the need to return to strict implementation of the Idlib agreements, because the Idlib de-escalation zone became the place from which the terrorists moved to capture Aleppo," the minister said.
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