Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that there is no meaning in maintaining the former Russian diplomatic presence in Western countries. During a meeting with university graduates accepted into the diplomatic service for the first time, Lavrov said, "There is no meaning or desire to maintain the same presence in Western countries. Our staff operates under conditions that are difficult to describe as humane. They create ongoing problems and threats of physical assaults. The important thing is that there is no work there, as Europe has decided to close itself off from us and halt any economic cooperation."
He noted that the United States "actively prepared" and that Europe "submissively accepted" the coup in Ukraine, which "was carried out under Nazi slogans, which means one thing: that the West sided with those who want to revive Nazism. Every day we see many confirmations of our assessment." He added, "We will shift the 'center of gravity' to countries ready to cooperate with us on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, seeking promising joint projects."
Lavrov pointed out that the Russian Foreign Ministry is now "geographically redirecting its activities abroad," emphasizing that "countries of the so-called third world (in Asia, Africa, and Latin America) need more attention." Many plans requiring diplomatic support are being agreed upon at the highest levels, including support for business, cultural, humanitarian, and educational joint projects.
He mentioned that many Russian diplomats, due to the West's hostile policies towards us, have halted their business trips abroad ahead of schedule. He continued, "The concept of our foreign policy requires focusing efforts on ensuring safe and favorable external conditions for the economic development of Russia, improving the welfare of citizens, and protecting them and businesses abroad."
He added, "Without exaggeration, we are living at a turning point, or rather an era - it will be a long period. Under these circumstances, it is important to defend not only the economic and social interests of the country and its citizens but also the sense of national pride and honor and protect the historical heritage."
He affirmed that "Russia has been warning for years against the acceptance of threats to our security not 10,000 miles away but directly at our borders, to those who consider themselves Russians and want to remain part of the Russian world."
Lavrov stressed that the Kyiv regime has been oppressing them for many years, banning the Russian language, education, media, and culture among many other things. He continued, "For eight long years, Donbas has been bombed, and women and children have been killed. Not one of our Western colleagues has found the trouble to utter a word in defense of those who have been oppressed by the perpetrators of the unconstitutional coup in Ukraine. Western journalists did not take the time during these eight years to visit Donbas; perhaps there were one or two journalistic exceptions, but they exclusively covered the situation from Kyiv."
