Lavrov’s Remarks: We Are on the Verge of a World War, Success of the Special Military Operation Is Russia’s Top Priority

Moscow — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that the state of conflict and instability the world is currently experiencing could signal a new kind of world war. He made these remarks while addressing the 34th Assembly of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy held in Moscow on Friday.

Lavrov said, “The question of whether what we are experiencing today amounts to a new world war has been becoming increasingly prominent in the public space. Some are putting forward arguments proving that this is indeed a world war, while others argue, based on qualitative changes in the nature of military action, that we must describe the ongoing developments as a war of a radically new kind.” He stated that this situation is already in full swing in Eurasia.

The Russian Foreign Minister said, “The West staged an aggression in Ukraine against Russia in what amounted to yet another attempt to weaken our country and to ensure that it does not have a place among the key global actors. They followed up by launching the operation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz. There were border clashes in the southern and eastern parts of the Asian continent.” He also pointed to the numerous outstanding issues in Latin America. He remarked that it would be up to future historians to conclude whether all these elements and conflicts, in terms of their intensity when combined, can be described as a world war.

Lavrov stated that the West is trying to steal Russia’s allies. He said, “This primarily deals with our neighbours, which was the case with Georgia and Moldova, and this is currently happening with Ukraine. They are trying to place Armenia on the same erroneous path. Their single goal consists of hurting Russia as much as possible.”

The Russian Foreign Minister noted that Russia has been working extensively in Africa and restoring its embassies there. However, he stressed that the primary task for Russian diplomacy is to create the necessary conditions for ensuring that the actions of the special military operation are effective, victorious, and yield tangible results. “Our friends, neighbours, and our adversaries and enemies are all keeping a close eye on the way it unfolds. Therefore, the primary task for our diplomacy consists in doing everything necessary to make the special military operation successful,” he said.