Russian FM Lavrov discusses Türkiye’s S-400 purchase, Ukraine war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a press conference in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Lavrov responded to questions from the American-Turkish media outlet, CNBC-e, providing significant insights on Türkiye-Russia relations and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Türkiye’s purchase of S-400s and possible sales

Lavrov declined to comment on Türkiye’s acquisition of the S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

He described President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an experienced statesman, stating, “There is an addendum in the arms sales contract under the end-user certification. This certification means that the country receiving the products must obtain the necessary permissions from the selling country if they wish to do something else with these weapons.”

He also addressed recent comments from a former minister suggesting that the S-400 systems could be sold to third countries.

Criticism of war in Ukraine

The correspondent asked Lavrov about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement, “If I were president, there would be no war in Ukraine.” Lavrov responded, “I can also make statements like ‘if it had been like this, war would never have happened.’” He recalled the events of February 2014, highlighting the role of Western-backed protests that led to political changes in Ukraine.

Lavrov emphasized that had the Minsk Agreement been signed on time, Ukraine could have remained whole, and Crimea would still be a part of Ukraine.

If an agreement had been reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul in April 2022, Ukraine would still be holding part of Donbas.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Lavrov warns about Ukraine’s future

Lavrov stressed that the Ukrainian administration must consider its own attitudes and actions, warning, “If Ukraine continues on this path, it will not succeed.” He concluded by reminding that friends from China and Brazil, part of the group advocating for peace, are concerned about the situation in Ukraine.