Russia's Lavrov warns the West against a “fight for victory with a nuclear power”

By Simon Lewis and Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the United Nations on Saturday that it was pointless to ignore alternatives to Ukraine's peace proposals and warned the West of the danger of “fighting to victory with a nuclear power” .

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Lavrov took aim at Ukraine supporters who support Kiev's peace proposal.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Nine months later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a 10-point peace plan to ensure a just end to the war based on the founding charter of the United Nations and international law. Moscow rejected the plan.

“I will not talk here about the futility and danger of the very idea of ​​trying to fight for victory with a nuclear power, which is Russia,” Lavrov said.

“It is equally senseless that Kiev’s Western supporters swear that there is no alternative to negotiations based on the infamous peace formula.”

He cited plans by Western allies in the 1940s to “destroy” the Soviet Union and accused the West of trying to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia in Ukraine.

“The current Anglo-Saxon strategists do not hide their ideas. Although at the moment they hope to defeat Russia with the help of the illegitimate neo-Nazi Kiev regime, they are already preparing Europe to plunge into this suicide escapade as well,” Lavrov said.

Russia is also concerned about the Israeli attack in Beirut that killed Hezbollah's leader, and such “political killings” are commonplace, Lavrov said.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Paul Simao)