Moscow declines Israel-Iran, Ukraine war association
(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed comparisons between Israel’s recent strike on Iran and the ongoing Ukraine conflict, arguing that the nature and context of the two situations are fundamentally different.
Speaking at the 'Primakov Readings' forum in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov stated that the Middle East crisis stemmed solely from Israel’s unverified suspicions that Iran had violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He pointed out that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not confirmed any such violations, and both the IAEA and U.S. intelligence maintain there is no evidence Iran is developing a nuclear bomb. Tehran insists its nuclear activities are peaceful.
Lavrov contrasted this with Ukraine, which he accused of breaching commitments by moving NATO forces closer to Russia’s borders and threatening Moscow’s security. He reiterated Russia’s longstanding view that NATO’s eastward expansion is a key driver behind the Ukraine conflict, alongside Western military support for Kiev.
“The threats to our military security and efforts to eradicate Russian identity and culture are the reasons we could not and will not tolerate the situation any longer,” Lavrov said, stressing that the two conflicts are not comparable.
He further claimed that prior to 2022, Ukraine violated the Minsk agreements by escalating attacks on Donbass and killing civilians, while preparing for a military takeover of the region with NATO support. Lavrov alleged that the UK had even planned to build a base on the Sea of Azov.
Lavrov also noted there is no evidence Iran has conducted any hostile acts against Israel. In contrast, he criticized Ukraine for banning the Russian language, despite it being an official UN language. He contrasted this with Iran and Israel, where he said minority languages like Hebrew and Arabic are not banned, and religious freedoms are preserved.
Lavrov concluded by reaffirming that drawing parallels between the Israel-Iran tensions and the Ukraine war is misleading and unfounded.
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