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Russian Diplomat’s Speech Depicts the West as Hypocritical | Russian Diplomat’s Speech Depicts the West as Hypocritical |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Russia’s foreign minister delivered a strident denunciation of the United States and its allies on Saturday, using his speech at the annual United Nations General Assembly session to depict the West as an arrogant and hypocritical arbiter of “what is good or evil.” | Russia’s foreign minister delivered a strident denunciation of the United States and its allies on Saturday, using his speech at the annual United Nations General Assembly session to depict the West as an arrogant and hypocritical arbiter of “what is good or evil.” |
The speech by Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, a skilled diplomat who spent a decade as Russia’s United Nations ambassador, described the world’s acute conflict zones — Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan — in near polar opposite terms from the way the United States and Western European leaders have framed them. | The speech by Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, a skilled diplomat who spent a decade as Russia’s United Nations ambassador, described the world’s acute conflict zones — Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan — in near polar opposite terms from the way the United States and Western European leaders have framed them. |
He bluntly rejected their depiction of Russia as a scheming violator of the world order, equating such a view to what he called an inherent inability of the West to outgrow the stereotypes of Soviet times. On the contrary, Mr. Lavrov said, the deterioration of Russia’s relationship with the NATO alliance, particularly regarding the Ukraine crisis, had “made obvious the inability of the alliance to change the genetic code it embedded during the Cold War era.” | He bluntly rejected their depiction of Russia as a scheming violator of the world order, equating such a view to what he called an inherent inability of the West to outgrow the stereotypes of Soviet times. On the contrary, Mr. Lavrov said, the deterioration of Russia’s relationship with the NATO alliance, particularly regarding the Ukraine crisis, had “made obvious the inability of the alliance to change the genetic code it embedded during the Cold War era.” |
Russia did not illegally seize Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula six months ago, as President Obama and many other leaders have said, but rather only wanted to see the people of Crimea decide for themselves whether they would remain part of Ukraine after the political violence that ousted the pro-Russia president, Viktor F. Yanukovych. “The attempts to distort the truth and to hide the facts behind blanket accusations have been undertaken at all stages of the Ukrainian crisis,” Mr. Lavrov said. | |
He reiterated the Kremlin’s view that the current Ukraine government, led by Western-friendly politicians, was the result of a coup d’état. | He reiterated the Kremlin’s view that the current Ukraine government, led by Western-friendly politicians, was the result of a coup d’état. |
“Shouldn’t the General Assembly adopt a declaration on the inadmissibility of interference into domestic affairs of sovereign states and nonrecognition of coup d’états as a method of the change of power?” he asked. “The time has come to totally exclude from the international interaction the attempts of illegitimate pressure of some states on others.” | “Shouldn’t the General Assembly adopt a declaration on the inadmissibility of interference into domestic affairs of sovereign states and nonrecognition of coup d’états as a method of the change of power?” he asked. “The time has come to totally exclude from the international interaction the attempts of illegitimate pressure of some states on others.” |
Countering the American-led position that Russia has resorted to force to get what it wants in Ukraine and arbitrarily redraw geographic boundaries, Mr. Lavrov said the reverse was true. | Countering the American-led position that Russia has resorted to force to get what it wants in Ukraine and arbitrarily redraw geographic boundaries, Mr. Lavrov said the reverse was true. |
“Washington has openly declared its right to unilateral use of force anywhere to uphold its own interests,” he said. “Military interference has become a norm — even despite the dismal outcome of all power operations that the U.S. has carried out over the recent years.” | “Washington has openly declared its right to unilateral use of force anywhere to uphold its own interests,” he said. “Military interference has become a norm — even despite the dismal outcome of all power operations that the U.S. has carried out over the recent years.” |
The Western alliance, Mr. Lavrov said, which “portrays itself as a champion of democracy, rule of law and human rights within individual countries, acts from directly opposite positions in the international arena, rejecting the democratic principle of sovereign equality of states enshrined in the U.N. Charter and trying to decide for everyone what is good or evil.” | The Western alliance, Mr. Lavrov said, which “portrays itself as a champion of democracy, rule of law and human rights within individual countries, acts from directly opposite positions in the international arena, rejecting the democratic principle of sovereign equality of states enshrined in the U.N. Charter and trying to decide for everyone what is good or evil.” |
Mr. Lavrov’s speech had been eagerly awaited, in part to see whether Russia would react to the newly formed American-led alliance of European and Arab states now conducting airstrikes on the Islamic State, the extremist group ensconced in eastern Syria that has seized parts of Iraq and has been universally condemned as a terrorist organization. The United States did not seek permission for those attacks from the government of Syria, a Russia ally, nor did it seek an authorization from the United Nations Security Council, where Russia, as a permanent member, has veto power. | Mr. Lavrov’s speech had been eagerly awaited, in part to see whether Russia would react to the newly formed American-led alliance of European and Arab states now conducting airstrikes on the Islamic State, the extremist group ensconced in eastern Syria that has seized parts of Iraq and has been universally condemned as a terrorist organization. The United States did not seek permission for those attacks from the government of Syria, a Russia ally, nor did it seek an authorization from the United Nations Security Council, where Russia, as a permanent member, has veto power. |
While Russia may be quietly happy that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, is now the target of American airstrikes, Mr. Lavrov took the opportunity to challenge the Obama administration’s decision as arrogant, arbitrary and contrary to the United Nations Charter. | While Russia may be quietly happy that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, is now the target of American airstrikes, Mr. Lavrov took the opportunity to challenge the Obama administration’s decision as arrogant, arbitrary and contrary to the United Nations Charter. |
“The struggle against terrorists in the territory of Syria should be structured in cooperation with the Syrian government, which clearly stated its readiness to join it,” Mr. Lavrov said. | “The struggle against terrorists in the territory of Syria should be structured in cooperation with the Syrian government, which clearly stated its readiness to join it,” Mr. Lavrov said. |
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