Lavrov accuses Europe of blocking peace in Ukraine, meets Wadephul at the UN

The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, on Saturday accused Europe of systematically opposing peace projects in Ukraine, contrary to the position of the United States. “Europe is doing everything in its power to thwart the peace discussions desired by the Trump government,” declared the minister from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly.

In his vehement speech, Sergei Lavrov assured that Moscow would achieve its military objectives in Ukraine “no matter the circumstances”. “The goals of the special military operation will be achieved, the threat to Russian security will be eliminated, and peaceful life will return,” he said.

Before his speech, the minister met his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, for the first meeting of this kind since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Berlin being a major supporter of kyiv. The meeting took place in a climate of high tensions after the German accusation against Moscow, accused of having sent a drone loaded with explosives to Leipzig airport at the beginning of August. Germany and Russia have since closed their respective consulates within the two countries.

Johann Wadephul urged Moscow “to abandon the dangerous path of escalation with regard to Germany, Europe and NATO,” sources within the German delegation indicated. “Incidents like the recent attempted attack in Leipzig or other hybrid attacks cannot shake Germany’s determination to support the attacked Ukraine,” added the same source.

“On the path to militarism”

During the interview, Johann Wadephul condemned, again according to his delegation, “Russia’s persistent and increasingly targeted aggression against the Ukrainian civilian population.” “This attempt to increase pressure does not change anything in the untenable situation in Russia: every month, tens of thousands of Russian soldiers die in a war of positions with no outcome, while the Russian economy collapses further and further,” asserts German diplomacy. For Berlin, Ukraine's essential supporter, the “obvious” solution to the conflict is “the end of Russian aggression, the withdrawal of Russian troops and a lasting ceasefire”.

Sergei Lavrov last met with a German foreign minister in January 2022, when he spoke with Annalena Baerbock less than a month before the start of the invasion of Ukraine. In his speech at the UN, the Russian minister attacked Berlin in particular. According to him, “a reform of the UN Security Council cannot include additional seats allocated to Western countries, particularly Germany and Japan, which are now on the path to militarism.”

He also affirmed that Russia was ready to help stabilize the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after Donald Trump announced that he rejected the Iranian proposal to reopen this crucial maritime passage for the world economy within seven days. “We need trust in relations between the Gulf States, the Arab States, and Iran. We need a stable regional architecture,” declared the minister.