Sergey Lavrov holds a press conference in Moscow

Photo: Sputniknews

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia holds an annual press conference on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2024, Sputnik Globe informs. The key points.

The United States is encouraging Ukraine to incapacitate the TurkStream just like the Nord Stream pipelines, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that on January 11, Ukraine had attempted to attack a Turkish Stream compressor station near Russia's Anapa in the Krasnodar Territory with the help of nine drones in order to stop gas supplies to European countries.

"I have a very strong conviction — the United States does not need any competitor in any area, starting with energy, where they, without hesitation, give the go-ahead to carry out terrorist activities to destroy the basis of the energy well-being of the European Union, where they incite their Ukrainian customers to follow the Nord Stream pipelines now also, the TurkStream should be incapacitated," Lavrov said.

The West can no longer overcome the inertia of ‘the End of History’, even by trying to block the way for competitors everywhere.

Any sensible politician should understand that times have changed dramatically over the past 30-35 years, and opposition to the West has been restored - not in the face of the USSR, but of multipolarity, Sergey Lavrov said.

He also added that the United States announced new sanctions on microchips, banning their export even to EU and NATO countries. This means that the United States does not want any competitor anywhere.

He added that the nations that refuse to bow to US are not invited "to the table of democracy": “Those who don’t listen to the us, won’t be invited to the table of democracy, instead, they will find themselves on the menu.”

This statement clearly reflects their actions, the Russian top diplomat noted.

Western countries are "sliding down a slippery slope" because they don’t want to compete fairly.

Moscow believes that the UN Charter does not need to be improved in terms of its principles, Sergey Lavrov said.

"The [UN] Charter — I am deeply convinced — does not need any improvements in terms of principles, the principles of equality and self-determination of peoples, the sovereign equality of states, ensuring the territorial integrity of those states whose governments behave decently, respect the rights of all nations inhabiting the country," Lavrov stressed.

All countries must fully comply with the UN Charter, rather than select certain provisions from it based on preferences, the minister said.

Commenting on changes necessary for the UN, the minister also said that it is high time that India, Brazil and African countries receive a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, but not Germany and Japan.

The UN's principles represent the entire population inhabiting its territory, which is not the case with the current regime in Kiev, that seized power through a coup d'état 11 years ago.

Necessary to follow what methods Trump will use to 'Make America Great'.

If US President-elect Donald Trump "makes America even greater" upon taking office, Russia should follow closely what methods he will use to achieve this goal, Sergey Lavrov said.

"If Trump makes America even greater upon assuming office as president, we will have to look very carefully at the methods by which this goal, proclaimed by president Trump, will be achieved," Lavrov told a press conference.

Russia-China cooperation is a key stabilizing factor of international situation.

Cooperation between Russia and China is one of the key stabilizing factors of the international situation, Sergey Lavrov said.

"There is no doubt that the Russian-Chinese link is one of the main stabilizing factors in modern international life and those processes that are unfolding, including to escalate confrontation and hostility in international affairs, which our neighbors from NATO under the leadership of the United States are doing," Lavrov told a press conference.

Lavrov slammed Western pressure on Serbia.

The US and the EU are twisting Serbia's arm, demanding it betray Moscow by joining the anti-Russian sanctions crusade in exchange for EU membership, Lavrov said.

US should take into account the opinion of Greenlanders.

When it comes to the US purchasing Greenland, the opinion of the Greenlanders should be sought, just as Russia did in the case of Crimea and Donbass, Lavrov said.

"I think the first step is to listen to the Greenlanders," Lavrov said.

He compared this to how Russia listened to the residents of Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya to understand their attitude toward the Kiev regime that came to power in Ukraine through an unlawful coup.

No proposals from Trump team to meet with Putin yet.

There have been no proposals from the team of US President-elect Donald to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin yet, Sergey Lavrov said.

"We will wait for concrete initiatives. President Putin has said many times that he is ready to meet, but there have been no proposals yet," Lavrov told a press conference.

Lavrov calls Trump first politician to admit that NATO lied on not expanding to East.

US President-elect Donald Trump was the first Western politician to honestly admit that NATO lied to Russia about not expanding to the East, Sergey Lavrov said.

"President Trump himself, in his big interview, also mentioned the root causes of the conflict in the part where it concerns dragging the Kiev regime into NATO, contrary to the agreements that were reached both through Soviet and then Russian-US agreements and relations and within the OSCE," Lavrov told a press conference.

NATO was doing exactly what it had promised not to do, Lavrov added.

"And Trump said so. For the first time, honest admissions were made not only by a US leader, but by any Western leader, in fact, that NATO members were lying when they signed numerous documents," the minister concluded.

Russia will study Trump’s plan on Ukrainian settlement when he formulates it.

Russia will study US President-elect Donald Trump's final position on Ukraine when he formulates it after his inauguration, Sergey Lavrov said.

"When... Trump formulates his final position on Ukrainian affairs once he takes office, of course, we will study it," Lavrov told a press conference.

Commenting on Trump's remark about the need to reach a settlement based on the situation on the ground, the minister said that it deserves to be welcomed, adding that Russia expects concrete initiatives on Ukraine from the new Trump administration.

Russia thankful to Vietnam for proposal to host talks on Ukraine.

Russia is thankful to Vietnam for its proposal to host negotiations on Ukraine, Sergey Lavrov said.

"We heard that Vietnam is ready to host even negotiations. We are grateful for this, we really appreciate the attitude of our Vietnamese friends. But we cannot comment on anything now, because there are no specific proposals, and the tasks that we are solving must be completed," Lavrov told a press conference when asked about possible talks with the US administration.

Greater Eurasian partnership needs to be expanded.

The Eurasian partnership enable us to pave the way for more efficient ways of economic exchanges, the Russian foreign minister said.

Lavrov: “We [Russia] are not leaving the Middle East.”

Decolonization process should be completed.

The right to self-determination served as the legal foundation for decolonization during the 1960s and 1970s – a process that the UN asserts should now be brought to a conclusion, the Russian foreign minister said.

The Biden administration, using new sanctions against Russia's energy sector, wants to "pull a dirty trick" on both Serbia and the Trump administration, stated Lavrov.