The Russian minister did not confine himself to the Balkans. He said the ruling elites of the European Union are afflicted by a “virus of racial superiority” and are confirming the spread of Nazi ideology within their own borders. He accused the West of arming Ukraine and helping Kyiv target civilians and civilian infrastructure with drones and missiles, and charged Europe with deliberately obstructing negotiations to end the war.
On the course of the special military operation itself, Lavrov repeated the position he has stated before.
“Our fight for truth and justice will be carried through to the end. The goals of the special military operation will be achieved.”
He told the General Assembly this from the podium.
He added that, in his words, “dreams of Russia’s strategic defeat will lead the very instigators of the war into a strategic dead end,” an apparent reference to the Western states supplying weapons to Kyiv.
Iran, Venezuela and Seats on the Security Council
Beyond the European and Ukrainian context, Lavrov condemned the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and called the American military intervention in Venezuela unacceptable. He announced that Moscow would continue work on the so-called Eurasian Charter of Multipolarity, a document through which Russia is trying to offer an alternative to the existing order of international relations, and he rejected proposals to give Western countries additional seats on the UN Security Council. Instead, he called for expanding the council’s membership at the expense of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
After his address in the General Assembly hall, Lavrov held a closing press conference on the Russian delegation’s participation in this year’s session. On the sidelines of the gathering, according to Russian media reports, he also met with Vucic and passed on warm words from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Whether Brussels eases its pressure on Belgrade before the next round of enlargement talks, or the frozen accession process stays in place until Serbia imposes sanctions on Russia, is a question Serbian diplomacy will have to answer in the months ahead.