In a startling revelation, Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has asserted that Western powers, by supporting Ukraine, have effectively entered into direct combat with Moscow. Lavrov emphasized this point during a press conference at the United Nations (UN) and stated, “You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us. We call it a hybrid war but that doesn’t change things.”
While US President Joe Biden has consistently expressed his intent to avoid direct confrontation with Russia and has refrained from sending American troops, Lavrov pointed to several factors contributing to this perceived involvement of Western nations in the conflict. Lavrov cited the substantial supply of Western military equipment to Kyiv, US and British intelligence support, and the presence of Western military advisors as evidence of Western involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Lavrov went on to suggest that Western nations are “de facto fighting against us, using the hands and bodies of Ukrainians.” He specifically highlighted the continuous provision of weapons by Americans and Britons as a means of Western support.
Additionally, Lavrov raised concerns about the presence of Western mercenaries in Ukraine, despite discouragement from Western governments. These fighters, he noted, have traveled independently to participate in the conflict.
Lavrov’s statements come against the backdrop of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought increased international support in his bid to counter the Russian invasion. Zelenskyy presented a 10-point plan for ending the war, which includes a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, and the establishment of a special tribunal for war crime accountability.
In response, Lavrov criticized Zelenskyy’s plan as unrealistic and questioned the support it received from the US and European Union. He remarked, “It is not realistic and everybody understands this, but at the same time they say this is the only basis for negotiations.”
Lavrov concluded by suggesting that, given the circumstances, the resolution to the conflict might ultimately be found on the battlefield.
This development underscores the escalating tensions and complexities surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with both sides accusing each other of direct and indirect involvement by foreign powers.
By AFP
