Lavrov Asserts We Are in a Qualitatively New Phase of the War

Nov. 24—Following the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Nov. 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered stark answers to reporters regarding the U.S. escalation in Ukraine. Asked about the prospects of peace in Ukraine now, Lavrov replied: "Well… There is still no confirmation either from the White House or from the Pentagon.

“We basically take our position on the basis of what is going on physically. And physically, ATACMS, apparently not as long as 300 kilometers, are being used, including this early morning in Russia, against the Bryansk Region of Russia, which is bordering Ukraine. And we proceed from the understanding that this is happening, and that any modification of ATACMS cannot be used without American experts and instructors, including satellite data, programming, and targeting. The President mentioned this several times: If long-range missiles are going to be applied from Ukraine into Russian territory, it will also mean that they are operated by American experts, military experts. And we will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia, and we’ll react accordingly.”

Next, Lavrov was asked about Putin’s having signed the decision to change Russia’s nuclear doctrine that day, and “Should the world be prepared for a nuclear response from Russia after the U.S. decision adopted this weekend, and the first attack on the Russian territory today?” Lavrov replied: “We are strongly in favor of doing everything possible to prevent a nuclear war. We were the first to suggest it to the United States during the Soviet Union times. [Mikhail Gorbachev and President Reagan made a joint statement, which said that nuclear war can never be won and must never be started. The same statement we confirmed in January 2022 in the format of P5.”

He mentioned the reckless nuclear rhetoric which came from the U.K., Germany, and France beginning in 2022, and continued: “We never started this conversation. The update of the military doctrine does not add anything that the West does not know and that is different from the American doctrinal documents on conditions of using nuclear weapons. We are convinced that the nuclear weapon is first and foremost a weapon to deter and to prevent any nuclear war. This is how we handle this situation.”