/ world today news/ In an interview about the results of 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assessed the current situation in Serbia, where opposition protests continue, spoke about the prospects for achieving inter-Palestinian unity and what Moscow expects from the scheduled US presidential elections for 2024 Mr.
— Russian officials recently held a series of meetings with Serbian partners amid the protests in Belgrade, and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Burnabic thanked Russian intelligence services for information about the upcoming unrest. Can you confirm that Moscow has indeed provided such assistance? Which specific Western countries are involved in organizing these protests, is there a threat of a coup in this country and its joining the anti-Russian sanctions?
– Our dialogue with Serbia is rhythmic, characterized by openness and focus on the development of various areas of cooperation, including in the field of security. This is quite a sensitive area. It would be correct to say that Moscow is always ready to lend a shoulder to Serbian friends.
What happened in Belgrade is another attempt to organize an illegal seizure of power. Apparently, not everyone in the West is ready to accept the fact that Serbian voters expressed support for President Vucic and his political course in the elections.
The trend, to be honest, is not new. It is well known how such adventures usually end. It is enough to recall the coup in Ukraine in February 2014, inspired by Washington and Brussels.
In Serbia, they have not forgotten this either, thanks in part to their own experience. Obviously, that is why the number of protesters is relatively small – only a few hundred people. Citizens do not trust individuals who verbally oppose violence, but in reality behave in the exact opposite way: they ignore the results of citizens’ will and provoke law enforcement.
We assess the general situation in Serbia as stable. The country’s leadership firmly controls the situation, clearly understanding that this is where the national interest lies.
— What awaits the representatives of the Kyiv regime after Russia fulfills the objectives of the special military operation? Will an investigation be launched into the crimes of the Kyiv regime and what will the process be?
— The investigation of the crimes of the Kyiv regime is already underway. Russian law enforcement agencies carefully record and document the atrocities committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis, not limited to the period of a special military operation. The suffering of the peaceful population of Donbas began much earlier, already in 2014. The guilty will also be brought to justice.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is conducting an investigation under a number of articles of the Criminal Code. According to the Investigative Committee, more than four thousand criminal cases have been opened against about 900 persons. Among them are not only members of radical nationalist associations, representatives of the Ukrainian security forces and mercenaries, but also representatives of the military and political leadership of Ukraine. Those of them who have been charged in absentia have been declared internationally wanted.
Based on the evidence gathered by the Investigative Committee, the courts of the Russian Federation have already sentenced more than 200 representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to long terms of imprisonment for the atrocities committed. The same fate awaits all other criminals. Each of them will receive a just retribution.
— Is Moscow planning to organize negotiations on Russian territory between Palestinian movements, in particular Fatah and Hamas, to achieve the goals of national unity? How likely are the Palestinians to agree to form a government?
— Russia has consistently advocated the opening of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. One of the obstacles in their way remains the lack of Palestinian unity. We support the actions of our partners, in particular Egypt and Algeria, aimed at solving this problem. For our part, we are also helping our Palestinian friends to find solutions. We provided them with a Russian tribune to hold meetings. We promote unity in the political platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization. We explain the danger of division for the prospects of establishing a Palestinian state.
In April 2023, Russia proposed an initiative to convene multilateral consultations to synchronize approaches to ensure Palestinian unity. In the second stage, representatives of the main Palestinian movements are expected to be included in the dialogue. Our offer remains on the table.
Most recently, on December 20, I participated in the sixth session of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum, which was held in Morocco. With my colleagues from a number of Arab countries, we discussed the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone and the possible steps to resolve it. The discussion showed that, among other things, we are united by a common understanding of the need to quickly restore Palestinian unity.
– Recently, there have been signals that our country may reconsider its unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles. Is this really true? Is it possible to lift the moratorium on the deployment of such American weapons in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region? Have the probable locations of the Russian missiles been identified?
– An unequivocal signal that we may, under certain conditions, reconsider the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range land-based missiles was included in the initial wording in which we announced the adoption of the corresponding stand-alone deterrents.
Let me remind you that our commitment to this moratorium is closely related to the potential presence of US medium- and short-range land-based missiles in the relevant regions. Due to the characteristics and peculiarities of the use of weapons of the mentioned class, the issue of their deployment by hostile countries is very sensitive from the point of view of Russian national security. In the case of the United States, this aspect takes on particular importance given its direct relationship with other factors affecting strategic stability. It is clear that Washington’s creation of additional missile risks will require a serious response from us.
Absent extraordinary steps by the US to increase force pressure on us by other means, Russia will not be the first to deploy missile weapons previously banned by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. However, judging by the preparations of the Pentagon, it will not be long before the Americans take practical action to deploy land-based missiles in various regions of the world. So the time when we will have to make the necessary political decisions is actually ripe.
— Russian President Vladimir Putin, summarizing the results of the year, noted Moscow’s readiness to restore full-fledged relations with Washington, subject to certain fundamental changes in the United States itself. Will Moscow expect such changes if the Republican Party candidate wins next year’s presidential election? Could this lead to an improvement in bilateral relations?
– Our willingness to restore full dialogue with the United States should not be taken for granted. Russian-American relations deteriorated to the limit due to the fault of Washington, which doctrinally formalized the task of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia. Although the White House is still wary of destroying whatever remains of the relationship to its foundations, Americans are clearly not ready to have an honest dialogue based on mutual respect and respect for each other’s interests.
We will be able to arrive at a formula for peaceful coexistence with interaction in certain areas only after Washington recognizes our core national interests and begins to negotiate seriously. Meanwhile, US ruling circles deny the realities of a multipolar world and continue to think in terms of their own superiority and exceptionalism.
The American political elite, regardless of party affiliation, sees Russia as an enemy and an existential threat. Given the existing cross-party consensus on this issue, it would be naïve to hope for improved relations if the GOP candidate wins. We generally don’t care who wins the US presidential race.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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