March 10, 2025 (EIRNS)—In his interview with the New Regions of Russia magazine on March 10, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made clear that Russia’s coexistence with the countries of the collective West—and by implication in order for the U.S. to successfully negotiate with Russia to end the NATO proxy war in Ukraine—depends on the West being willing “to acknowledge and rectify the errors they have made,” and shift to a moral set of principles. The complete interview is posted in translation to the Foreign Ministry website.
Lavrov began his response to the first question as to “Which general international and foreign political conclusions—both positive and negative—can Russia draw after three years of the special military operation?” emphasizing: “The last three years became the ‘moment of truth’ of a kind. Following the launch of the special military operation to protect the people of Donbass and Novorossiya, the collective West showed what it is worth. Both the infamous rule of law and basic rules of decency were cast aside. The so-called European values, such as inviolability of property, presumption of innocence, freedom of speech and movement, access to information and so forth vanished into thin air. Those who got used to teaching everyone how to live, declared themselves democrats, and advocates of human rights, supported the Neo-Nazi regime in Kiev without blinking an eye.
“The whole world saw that ultraliberal ruling elites of the West are driven by hegemonistic instincts. The predatory, colonial habits of the former parent states from among the current EU and British countries, or their innate vices—arrogance, a tendency to deceive and dishonesty in doing business—have not gone away. A new global divide was formed de-facto with the Western minority on one side, and the world majority on the other. These are all countries, as well as people of goodwill in the West, who stand for the establishment of a multipolar world supported by a balance of interests.”
He went on to say: “I believe the main lesson is as follows: we must rely on ourselves in main issues of the functioning of the country and our trusted friends who stayed with us in difficult times.
“As far as co-existence with Western neighbors is concerned, everything will depend on their behavior and readiness to admit and correct errors made, including renouncing the maniac aspiration to inflict a strategic defeat on our country.”