• Western nations, according to Lavrov, are encouraging Kyiv to continue fighting
• Lavrov also accuses President Zelensky of contradicting himself in public comments
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has cautioned Ukraine against inciting World War III and said the risks of nuclear war should not be underestimated.
“The risks are really very, very significant,” Lavrov said on Channel One. “I would very much not like these risks to be artificially inflated, and there are many who want them.”
“The danger is serious, it is real, it cannot be underestimated," the head of Russian diplomacy said.
The interview aired only hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin paid a visit to Kyiv and offered Ukraine greater military aid. Austin stated that the US wanted to see Russia "weakened," and that the US would arm Ukraine to help it defeat Moscow.
Ukraine and Negotiations
Western nations, according to Lavrov, are encouraging Kyiv to continue battling.
"I emphasize once again: we have a feeling that the West wants Ukraine to continue to fight, to continue, as they think, to wear out, wear down the Russian army and the Russian military-industrial complex - this is an illusion," Lavrov said, Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency reported.
He went on to say that Kyiv took this measure in response to recommendations from Washington and London that the Ukrainian authorities toughen their stance.
Russian Foreign Minister also accused; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky contradicts himself in public comments.
“What is perceived in the West as Zelensky’s talented presentation of his interests, his approaches is such a specific thing. If you look not at the external manifestations of his talents, he is a good actor, plus there are also funny things in external manifestations that show what state sometimes he is, but if you look closely and read the essence of what he says, you will find a thousand contradictions there," the minister said on Channel One.
Russia's two-month invasion of Ukraine, the worst attack on a European country since 1945, has killed or injured thousands of people, demolished towns and cities, and pushed more than 5 million people to flee to other countries.
Picture Credits: Reuters
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