Lavrov: West Ignores Sovereign Equality, Cherry-Picks UN Principles to Serve Its Agenda
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of systematically disregarding the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in the UN Charter, saying Western nations act as if they are superior to others. Speaking at a press conference, he cited former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s controversial remark describing the EU as a “garden” surrounded by the “jungle” as proof of this mindset. According to Lavrov, the UN Charter rests on four principles, yet the West has “always ignored” the principle of equality while selectively applying others to fit its agenda.
He contrasted the cases of Kosovo and Crimea to highlight what he called Western hypocrisy. “Kosovo was recognized under the principle of self-determination without even holding a referendum, while in Crimea more than 90% voted for reunification with Russia, but the West suddenly remembered ‘territorial integrity,'” Lavrov said. He also criticized the handling of the alleged 2022 Bucha massacre, revealing that Russia formally requested an investigation in September 2022 but only received a reply in July 2023 stating that information could not be disclosed due to “confidentiality.” Lavrov remarked, “If you can understand this, I envy you.”
The minister further argued that even U.S. President Donald Trump had acknowledged that bringing Ukraine into NATO was a mistake and one of the root causes of the current crisis. He accused the UN Secretariat of attempting to “whitewash” the actions of Kiev’s regime by overlooking violations of international humanitarian law. “When such violations are undeniable,” Lavrov added, “the UN merely makes calls to exercise restraint,” underscoring what he described as the organization’s biased stance toward Ukraine.
