Sergey Lavrov Straight Talk on Western Imperialism

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

At the OSCE 24th Ministerial Council in Vienna on Friday, Lavrov said Trump's Jerusalem declaration "runs counter to common sense."

It flagrantly violates international laws and agreements on the city, he stressed - undermining efforts to achieve regional peace and stabilization. 

Washington must "explain how and where they see future steps" following Trump's move, Lavrov added - his Jerusalem declaration inciting a firestorm in Occupied Palestine and Arab streets elsewhere, continuing on Saturday.

Russia supports East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, West Jerusalem alone as Israel's capital.

The city remains at the heart of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. No resolution is possible without dealing with this issue equitably - rejected by Washington and Israel, wanting their will forcefully imposed on Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, Iranians and others regionally.

Lavrov's remarks in Vienna were wide-ranging, including on "the irresponsible policy of several (US-led) Western countries," pursuing regime change in the region, "vast territories in the Middle East…turned into a zone of chaos and instability and have become breeding grounds for terrorism and extremism, as well as" the severest refugee crisis since WW II.

Restoring regional peace and stability is a "longterm task," he explained - undermined by Washington's rage for endless wars and dominance.

At a news conference following the OSCE meeting, Lavrov said Moscow is working with Iran and Turkey for peace in Syria - excluding US involvement in the country's Idlib governorate.

Russia, Iran and Turkey alone are ceasefire guarantor nations, establishing four de-escalation zones, aiming for spreading them nationwide, ending nearly seven years of US aggression.

ISIS was "completely defeated," said Lavrov. Terrorists elsewhere in the country "will be quashed." Idlib Governorate and areas around Golan remain to be liberated.

Lavrov and Rex Tillerson met on the sidelines of the OSCE meeting. They "discussed further steps to put an end to the civil conflict in Syria via establishing a sustainable negotiating process involving all Syrian political forces, including within the Geneva process and in the format of the forthcoming National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, with concurrent completion of the defeat of international terrorist groups," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.

Lavrov calling the presence of US forces in Syria "counterproductive" is his diplomatic way of denouncing its illegal occupation of northern and southern parts of the country.

He expressed concern about Western nations "us(ing) unsubstantiated rhetoric about Russian propaganda, hybrid threats to shrug off responsibility for numerous flagrant violations of the principles that form the basis for the OSCE activities," adding:

"Military and political tensions are mounting, including as a result of NATO's policy aimed at containing Russia, eastward expansion, including efforts to beef up its potential there."

"The crackdown on dissent, media freedom, language and education rights, and, of course, the unceasing growth of neo-Nazi trends, which triggers no proper response, including in the EU, spark concern."

Russian/US relations are dismal, the worst in memory. Lavrov and Tillerson interface easily when together. Yet the geopolitical agendas of both countries are world's apart. 

Russia seeks peace and stability. America wages endless wars of aggression. Though cordial, talks between both countries accomplish nothing, a waste of time.

The threat of eventual US nuclear war on Russia and other countries is ominously real - humanity's greatest threat.

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