Russia calls the West “An Empire of Lies.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in his UN address, criticizes Western nations and specific Ukrainian peace proposals amid the Russia-Ukraine war tensions.

He dismissed Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan as “completely not feasible,” and suggested that if Ukraine and its Western allies insist on it, the matter may be resolved through conflict. He noted that while many understand its impracticality, it is still presented as the sole basis for negotiations.

Notably, President Putin had also attributed the West with the same words when in February 2022, sanctions were imposed on Russia.   

Lavrov also rejected United Nations proposals to reopen a corridor for Ukrainian agricultural exports, deeming them “simply not realistic.” He explained that Russia had abandoned the agreement due to unfulfilled promises, particularly regarding sanctions on a Russian bank.

Lavrov accuses Russia’s opposition of hindering a “genuine multipolar world order” amid Russia-Ukraine war tensions. He contends that the US and its Western allies fuel conflicts dividing humanity and obstructing global objectives.

He referred to the West as “an empire of lies.” In contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier accused Russia of weaponizing food, energy, and children against the international rules-based order in his UN address.

Ukraine persists in a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion, focusing efforts on reclaiming lost territories. Crimea serves as a vital hub for Russia’s full-scale invasion, with Sevastopol, its main naval base, playing a crucial role since the war’s onset. Attacks from Crimea on Ukraine’s southern region underscore strategic significance. Al Jazeera reports that diminishing capabilities there holds importance in the ongoing conflict, while Ukraine intensifies efforts targeting naval facilities in Crimea amid gradual gains in the east and south.