In a speech on February 11 to the Russian State Duma Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov outlined a world which “has entered an era of swift and profound change. Some experts even argue an era of upheaval. One thing is clear, though: This is not a fleeting or temporary development, but a new phase in global development, perhaps even an era…” The main trend of this phase is a struggle for “a more just and sustainable world” between the “old, former, (concentrated, as I have already said, in the West), and the new, growing centers of development that represent the global majority.” “And this struggle is gaining momentum and is affecting almost the entire globe,” Lavrov said.
Western countries have so far been unable to get rid of their “complex of colonial and, I dare say, slave-holding superiority,” he said, pointing in particular to France’s recent attempts to overthrow legitimate regimes in Africa. “Berlin is not much different from Paris,” as the German authorities “are obsessed with revanchist fantasies,” he said. “The current generation of German, French and other European politicians have clearly forgotten about Poltava, Berezina, Stalingrad, and the Kursk Bulge.”
While saying that Russia still adhered to the peace proposals that were presented to them by the US in Anchorage, he also expressed concern about the recent indications that the US was prepared to jettison key elements in that proposal, which would make it unacceptable to Russia. While he expressed satisfaction that the US National Security Strategy did not characterize Russia as a “rival,” he also indicated that he did not see any practical conclusion coming out of that statement in terms of the US-Russia relationship.
Lavrov condemned the European attempts to sabotage US efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine, noting also the growing conflict between the Europeans and the US over Greenland. While indicating that the status of Greenland was a matter solely between the US and Europe, only if it became a military region and a possible threat to Russia, would Russia consider it a problem. He added, however, that in communicating with the Americans, Russia keeps warning “against encroaching upon the parts of the world that are far from the United States and in no way affect US security.” He also criticized the attempt to use a possible “Russia threat” to influence the Greenland outcome.
Lavrov pointed to the increasingly close relations between Russia and China as an example of good neighborly relations and lauded President Putin’s efforts to work towards a new Eurasian Security architecture, an architecture which he hoped would ultimately also embrace western European nations.
