Lavrov: EU Bets on Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine in Bid to Strike at Russia's Heart

On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian air defense systems had destroyed 14 RM-70 Vampire multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) missiles over the Belgorod region fired by Ukraine. As a result of the attack, seven people, including a child, were killed, while 18 were injured.

Addressing a Moscow-hosted conference entitled 'Euromaidan: Ukraine's Lost Decade', Sergey Lavrov, the nation’s top diplomat, pointed out that the EU had advised Ukraine to use the Western-supplied long-range weapons to "reach the heart of Russia."

"According to our information, the European External Action Service has drawn up recommendations for Ukraine, which are based on the fact that it will not be possible to win and Ukraine will lose with the methods with which it is currently fighting. That is why it is necessary to bet on the transfer of even more long-range weapons to Ukraine, so that they can reach the 'heart of Russia,' as the EU describes it, and thus sow confusion, panic, and once again undermine people's confidence," Lavrov said at the conference.

UK Role in Ukraine Conflict

London's stance when it comes to the situation in Ukraine is even more aggressive than Washington's position, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"The role that England plays in current events is even more aggressive, more sophisticated in its provocative assertiveness than any other participant, including even the United States," Lavrov said.

As for the possible restoration of a good level of relations, Lavrov repeated the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that they "will be restored one day," but the date when that would happen depended on the West's readiness to take mirror steps in this regard.

"It is their problem. We have made so many concessions, goodwill gestures ... that the limit of these gestures has been exhausted. From their side, we have seen other gestures only with a single hand in response to our good deeds," Lavrov added.

In November 2023, David Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine's ruling Servant of the People party in parliament and former chief negotiator with Russia, said ex-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson talked Kiev out of signing an agreement with Moscow to end the conflict in the spring of 2022. He also said Ukraine rejected the ceasefire deal due to it contradicting the constitution's clause on the country's Euro-Atlantic aspiration.

Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of talks in the early phase of the conflict, but the negotiations eventually stalled.

First Coup in Ukraine

Russia's top diplomat said that the first coup in Ukraine took place in 2004, after the West forced the Ukrainian Constitutional Court to rule on a third round of elections, something which was not provided for. This was because they didn't need Viktor Yanukovich, who was elected with votes from the south and southeast of the country, he added.

Donbass Conflict

Sergey Lavrov said that the original agreement was to solve the problems in Ukraine by federalizing the country, but Kiev decided to abandon this.

"The original agreement was to solve the problems in Ukraine through its federalization. But Kiev decided to abandon this and tried to solve the 'Donbass problem' by force, almost like the 'final solution to the Jewish question' in Nazi Germany," he said.

"Putin personally persuaded Donbass not to give up the possibility of negotiations. Thus, the Minsk talks became a possibility in principle. But, as we know, the West took advantage of this to arm Kiev. This is, in fact, an admission of guilt," the foreign minister noted.

Zelensky's Peace Formula

According to the minister, Zelensky's peace formula is an empty and unwise initiative.

"Zelensky's formula is empty and, at the very least, an unwise initiative that the West is trying to lure other countries into by demanding their support. They are trying to lure them with supposedly neutral points that can supposedly be supported unilaterally. What a fraud," Lavrov said.