Lavrov: The Ukrainian Conflict Should Never Have Started

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an interview with American journalists that the Ukrainian conflict should never have occurred. He emphasized that the primary reason for the conflict is NATO's expansion and Kiev's desire to join the alliance, which he views as a violation of Ukraine's Constitution and its declaration of state sovereignty.

Lavrov pointed out that the Ukrainian government included "NATO membership" in its constitution while also allegedly maintaining guarantees for national minorities. According to him, the Ukrainian authorities claimed that NATO and the EU were not representative of Ukraine. He noted that when these discussions began, the European Union still had some semblance of an economic union, but it has since lost that characteristic. He criticized EU leaders, particularly citing "Führer Ursula" von der Leyen, for mobilizing support for the remilitarization of Europe and discussed the enormous financial resources being allocated without proper auditing, particularly concerning spending during the COVID-19 pandemic and aid to Ukraine.

Lavrov also remarked that there is no desire within the EU to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. He referenced statements from the Danish Prime Minister, who explicitly said that for Kiev, peace is worse than war, suggesting that Ukraine must continue to be supplied with weapons.