Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Russia never aimed to grab Ukrainian land, including in Crimea, and in Donbas as the country’s objective was to defend Russian-speaking communities in those areas, according to a CNN report published Tuesday.
“We never sought to seize territories – neither Crimea, nor Donbas… Our goal was to protect the Russians who had lived on these lands for centuries,” Lavrov told the Russian state media, in remarks that appeared to justify the Kremlin’s long-standing, but widely discredited 2014 annexation of Crimea and its ongoing war in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin had claimed at the time that the Russian intervention was “necessary” to shield Russian-speaking populations from alleged persecution by Ukrainian authorities.
Security Interests First, Says Lavrov
Lavrov also addressed the US-led efforts to broker peace in Ukraine even as he stressed on Moscow’s non-negotiable demands.
“Without respect for Russia’s security interests and the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine, there can be no talk of any long-term agreements,” he said, per CNN.
That ‘USSR’ Sweater? Lavrov Says Rubio Approved Of It
In a lighter vein, Lavrov also commented on the now viral moment from last Friday’s summit in Alaska, where he was spotted wearing a sweater featuring ‘CCCP’ — the Cyrillic acronym for the Soviet Union.
He told Russian media that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio even complimented it.
“The US delegation reacted without any hysteria,” Lavrov reportedly said, adding, “Rubio even said that he liked the sweater.”
While some pro-Kremlin figures praised the outfit for its Cold War throwback vibe, Lavrov brushed off insinuation that it had any deeper message.
“I think there is no imperialism here,” he was quoted as saying by CNN. “We are talking about history, and this history needs to be preserved — even, if you like, with a sense of light humour.”
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