Europe and Ukraine "raped" the US peace plan - Lavrov

ArmInfo. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that Europe and Ukraine "raped" the US peace plan that was presented to Russia at a presidential meeting held in Anchorage in August.

In an interview with the Empatia Manuchi online project in Moscow, Lavrov claimed that peace initiatives remain “entirely absent” from Europe, while the US made one such attempt through documents circulated in various iterations following the Alaska meeting.

"All subsequent versions reflected attempts by (Ukrainian President) Volodymyr Zelenskyy and, principally, his patrons in Britain, Germany, France, and the Baltic states to 'rape' this American initiative," Lavrov said.

The minister added that Russia is ready to compromise, but not on fundamental principles.

"Some urge us to demonstrate readiness for compromise. Listen, compromise cannot extend to fundamental principles upon which a state's existence depends—least of all when the lives of millions hang in the balance," he said.

Lavrov argued that no such pressure is being applied to Ukraine and that Zelenskyy has shown no flexibility.

According to Lavrov, the US document handed to Russia “has already gone through several rounds of review,” but the latest version has never been shared with Moscow, either officially or unofficially.

Commenting on security guarantees for Ukraine, Lavrov said Kyiv is not seeking mutual guarantees with Russia, but rather military guarantees from the West against Russia.

He described these proposed guarantees — which he said would trigger automatic entry into war with Russia in the event of any incident — as extremely dangerous, citing the "provocative" nature of the Ukrainian side.

"Any incident deemed unacceptable would supposedly serve as a trigger for such a war. And the capacity of Zelensky and his clowns to provoke such incidents is beyond comprehension," he said.

Turning to the UN, Lavrov acknowledged that "many would like to see" the organization's days numbered.

He admitted: "There is plenty that can be criticized about the UN," adding that Russia is working to restore the principle of "equitable geographic representation" within the body, so that it should not matter "whether a state is rich or poor, developing or already overdeveloped."

According to the minister, dual citizenship policies and the system of permanent contracts have undermined the UN Secretariat, as settling in New York has turned staff into a politicized instrument dependent on the host country.

Asked whether US President Donald Trump's proposed Board of Peace could replace the UN, Lavrov replied, "No, that is an entirely different matter."

"Why do the Americans, as a rule, not hold the UN in particularly high regard—regardless of administration?’ he asked, responding: “My experience suggests that Americans, irrespective of party affiliation, dislike the UN because it requires persuasion and compromise."

Lavrov also accused the UN Secretariat of employing double standards, stating that the principle of self-determination is recognized for Greenland but ignored for Donbas, Crimea, and Novorossiya, where only territorial integrity is cited.

"This blatant attempt to absolve those who are favorably regarded by the West, and who, at its behest, undermine the interests of the Russian Federation, leaves a profoundly negative impression," he said.

On Greenland, Lavrov said: "Militarization is underway, and Russia's indisputable rights over the Northern Sea Route are being challenged."

"There have been repeated provocations in the past, for instance, French vessels entering the Northern Sea Route without requesting permission or even providing prior notice, in direct violation of established regulations," he stated.

"Currently, we are observing a significant number of such provocations at sea as well," he added, in an apparent reference to the recent arrest of tankers carrying Russian oil by the US military.

"However, I am confident that these will soon abate, as those orchestrating them will come to realize the seriousness of the consequences for themselves," he said.