MOSCOW (Dispatches) - The U.S. is directly participating in Ukrainian strikes against targets inside Russia by supplying weapons, intelligence, and communications support to Kyiv, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Lavrov rejected Western claims that Russia and China were allegedly supplying Iran with weapons used to attack American military facilities.
He accused Washington of hypocrisy, pointing to its own role in the Ukraine conflict.
“The Americans, through arms supplies paid for by the European Union, the provision of intelligence, the Starlink system and much more, are not simply helping, but are directly participating in guiding Ukrainian weapons toward targets, including civilian targets, on Russian territory,” Lavrov said.
Despite this, he said Moscow remained committed to the understandings reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting in Anchorage last year.
Lavrov recalled that Putin had accepted compromise proposals put forward by Washington, while Trump publicly backed negotiating a long-term peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire.
Russia continues to regard those understandings as valid because the U.S. has not formally rejected its own proposals, Lavrov said, adding that he intends to seek clarification on Washington’s current position during an upcoming meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Russia has repeatedly condemned the supply of Western weapons, intelligence, and targeting assistance to Ukraine, arguing that such support makes NATO countries direct participants in the conflict.
Moscow has also warned that continued military aid is prolonging the fighting and increasing the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and the West.
Commenting on Europe’s growing military spending and preparations for a potential conflict with Russia, Lavrov said Moscow was drawing conclusions not only analytically but also in terms of its “material readiness” for any scenario.
He reiterated that Russia has no intention of attacking Europe, but warned that if Western states decide to gather “under the familiar banners and try to attack us, it will no longer be a conventional war.”
Lavrov also said that Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) see very good prospects for cooperation in ensuring food and energy security.
“The leaders of our countries have reached important agreements in the areas of politics and security, combating new threats and challenges, and developing trade, economic, investment, cultural, educational and humanitarian ties. We see very good prospects in the areas of ensuring food and energy security, digital transformation and the platform economy. The four fundamental documents adopted at the summit in Kazan set clear guidelines for joint work in all the aforementioned areas,” Lavrov noted, TASS reported.
The minister added that the Kazan summit was highly appreciated in ASEAN countries. “During our communication last evening at a wonderful reception and this morning before the start of the meeting, many colleagues and friends from ASEAN recalled the summit that took place in Kazan just over a month ago, and said that they have the highest regard for that summit, which clearly demonstrated the mutual desire of Russia and ASEAN for further rapprochement and the strengthening of multifaceted cooperation based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit,” he said.