In a speech on Feb. 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.” Feb. 11, 2026 (EIRNS)—In a speech on Feb. 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 adheres to the peace proposals that the U.S. presented to them in Anchorage, he also expressed concern about the recent indications that the U.S. was prepared to jettison key elements in that proposal, which would make it unacceptable to Russia. While he expressed satisfaction that the U.S. 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 U.S.-Russia relationship.
Lavrov condemned the European attempts to sabotage U.S. efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine, noting also the growing conflict between the Europeans and the U.S. over Greenland. While indicating that the status of Greenland was a matter solely between the U.S. 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 U.S. 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.
While underlining the crucial importance of the United Nations and UN Charter as the basis for maintaining peace and harmony in the world, he did not mince words about the failure of the UN to act in a non-partisan manner with regard to resolving the conflict in Ukraine, their failure to condemn the banning of the Russian language, and totally turning a blind eye to the oppression of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine from the time of the 2014 Maidan coup until the present. He also criticized the UN for failing to support the Russian-backed resolution condemning all forms of Nazism.
With regard to the latest “Peace Council” proposal, Lavrov indicated that the issue of such a “peace council” had come up at the UN and that Russia, in deference to the Palestinians who wanted to see this passed, had, with China, abstained from voting. At the time, Lavrov said, it was to be focused solely on the Palestinian situation. “Many of the objectives set forth in UN resolutions in this area are not reflected in this American-proposed resolution,” Lavrov said. “The United States refused to cite UN decisions, so China and I abstained. We did not vote against it, given that both the Palestinians and virtually all other Arab states asked us not to block this resolution.” He said that President Vladimir Putin’s proposal, that $1 billion in Russian frozen funds be used to support the Palestinians, represented Russia’s commitment to that general effort.
