Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov launched a fierce attack on the United States and its Western partners at the United Nations on Saturday, labeling them “warmongers” while portraying Russia’s war in Ukraine as a broader struggle against Western power. His speech also appeared aimed at widening divisions between Washington and European capitals.
Lavrov criticized US military operations in Venezuela and Iran and invoked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s condemnation of what Moscow describes as Western “hegemony.”
“The West aspires to inflict strategic defeat on Russia, but these aspirations will result in the warmongers being led into a strategic dead end,” Lavrov told the UN General Assembly.
He accused the United States of violating international and moral standards by invading Venezuela earlier this year, claiming the operation led to the capture of President Maduro and his spouse, who he said were being held in an American prison without trial. Lavrov argued that international law grants immunity to the highest-ranking officials of every nation.
Lavrov also condemned the use of force against Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and members of his family. He did not mention repeated high-level threats from Russia against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He further alleged that US and Israeli strikes on Iran were aimed at civilian facilities, including civilian nuclear sites operating under international safeguards.
The Russian foreign minister then shifted his focus to Ukraine, accusing the United States and its allies of extending the conflict by continuing to supply weapons to Kyiv.
“The West is pumping the Ukrainian regime full of weapons, helping Kyiv to target drones and missiles at civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Lavrov said, overlooking Russia’s own repeated strikes on Ukrainian apartment buildings, warehouses and energy facilities.
Ukraine, which continues to resist Russia’s invasion, has also carried out a series of drone strikes targeting Russian oil refineries.
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Lavrov expanded his criticism beyond the war in Ukraine, denouncing the US embargo and fuel restrictions imposed on Cuba. He praised the country as an “island of freedom” and called for an end to all trade limitations.
He also attacked Washington’s European allies, saying the “lessons of Nuremberg [were] not learned by everybody.” Lavrov accused European Union leaders of being “contaminated with the virus of racial superiority,” echoing Moscow’s long-running effort to create friction between the United States and its NATO partners.
“Europe is doing everything it can to thwart peace talks in which the Trump administration is interested,” he said.
Lavrov spoke two days after President Trump invited Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December, a decision that has triggered an uncommon bipartisan backlash in the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the invitation on Wednesday, describing it as a chance for Putin to meet not only with Trump but also with other heads of government.
Should Putin attend, the gathering would mark his first major international summit since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Seven Republican senators, including Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, joined Senate Democrats in urging Trump to withdraw the invitation. They warned that the meeting could give Putin “the stature and legitimacy” associated with a recognized global leader.
Lavrov continued his broadside at the UN podium, reaching back to the history of colonialism to criticize Western powers and appeal to longstanding resentments within an institution dominated by major players such as the United States, Russia and China.
“The Western minority, which dominated for 500 years, thanks to others’ resources, continues to try to maintain its privileges and to impose its own rules on everyone else,” he said.
Lavrov concluded by accusing the West of relying on force, acting unpredictably and pursuing ventures that endanger the lives and prosperity of millions, possibly billions, around the world. Quoting Putin, he said the unchecked rule of a single hegemon was spiraling out of control and posed a danger to everyone.
