NEW YORK — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived late to a United Nations Security Council meeting convened to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s war in Ukraine one day after Putin threatened nuclear conflict.
But despite Lavrov’s late arrival, it did not take him long to cast aspersions on Ukraine, alleging it is a “totalitarian,” “neo-Nazi” state, according to the translation. He also charged “the collective West” as a party to the war after “pumping” Ukraine with weapons and training its troops.
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“Impunity reflects what has been going on my country since 2014,” Lavrov said Thursday, claiming it is contending with “a completely different narrative about Russian aggression” and accusing Ukraine of persecuting pro-Russia dissents. “Punish yourselves,” he added.
Lavrov left the Security Council chamber shortly after his remarks, his departure noted by new British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and then by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Kuleba compared Lavrov’s exit to Russia’s retreat on the battlefield after Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive campaign.
“Russian diplomats are directly complicit,” he said. “Their lies incite these crimes and cover them up.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened Thursday’s meeting, amplifying calls for an investigation into Russia’s “catalogue of cruelty” in Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken implored members to not permit Putin’s “shredding” of international order.
“Tell President Putin to stop the horror that he started. Tell him to stop putting his interests above the interests of the rest of the world,” he said. “Tell him to stop debasing this council.”
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“One man chose this war. One man can end it,” Blinken added. “If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends.”
