Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, thousands of civilians have died and cities have been bombed to pebbles.
In a new interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejects the allegations of war crimes – but also conveys another message.
– Russia is not spotless. Russia is what it is. We are not ashamed to show who we are, says Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the BBC.
Only on a few occasions has Sergei Lavrov, 72, spoken to media in the West about the war in Ukraine. An appearance on Italian television ended in rage in Israel after the Russian Foreign Minister argued that Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood”.
Putin had to apologize.
On Thursday, however, there was a new appearance when Lavrov sat down opposite the journalist Steve Rosenberg from British BBC. It started with familiar words.
– We did not invade Ukraine. We launched a special operation because we had no other way to explain to the West that it was a criminal act to drag Ukraine into NATO, says Lavrov.
“Fake news spread by the West”
The Foreign Minister also made sure to include the propaganda message to “denazify” Ukraine.
Lavrov was then confronted with a UN report on the village of Yahidne in the Chernihiv region, which states that 360 people, including children and the disabled, have been locked up in a basement for 28 days. Ten elderly people died in the basement who lacked water and a toilet.
BBC: Is it to fight the Nazis?
– It’s a shame. But international diplomats, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Secretary-General and other UN representatives are being pressured by the West. They are often used to reinforce fake news spread by the West, Lavrov claims.
Representatives of the Kremlin have acted like a Teflon pan against all information provided about Russian war crimes. Regardless of evidence, testimony or whether the city’s name was Mariupol, Butja or Chernihiv.
But in the interview with BBC the Foreign Minister slams the door a little.
– Russia is not spotless. Russia is what it is. We are not ashamed to show who we are, says Lavrov.
Relations between Russia and large parts of the democratic world are icy cold. In places directly hostile. French President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated that negotiations will be required to end the war. Sharp backlash has followed from several of his allies.
In the interview with the BBC, Lavrov gives his view on the relationship between Russia and Great Britain.
– I do not think there is any room for maneuver anymore because both [premiärminister Boris] Johnson and [utrikesminister Liz] Truss openly says that Russia should be defeated and forced to its knees. Come on, do it then!