Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Russia accused the United Kingdom of playing the “most negative” role in the Ukraine war, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blaming London for policies he claimed have long worked against Moscow.
Lavrov said Britain’s adversarial approach toward Russia stretched back centuries, although he acknowledged that the UK and the United States provided significant assistance to the Soviet Union during World War II.
He claimed Western countries later returned to diplomatic maneuvering against Moscow and argued that outside powers, including Britain and other European countries, had contributed to crises involving Russia.
The Russian foreign minister also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of seeking to destabilize Russian society through attacks on oil refineries, marketplaces and other targets.
Russia and Ukraine have increasingly struck each other’s energy, port and logistics infrastructure. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and maintain that their attacks are directed at military targets or facilities supporting military operations.
Lavrov also discussed Moscow’s recent talks with the Vatican, saying Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, conveyed the Holy See’s desire for the war to end as quickly as possible.
Russia maintained during those discussions that it had shown willingness to pursue a settlement, according to Lavrov, who claimed Gallagher offered no counterarguments beyond emphasizing the need for a swift end to the conflict.
Lavrov separately described contacts between intelligence agencies as routine when asked about CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent visit to Moscow, saying such discussions typically take place away from public scrutiny.