MOSCOW — In a recent interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Russia’s foreign minister asserted that while Moscow does not seek conflict with the United States, it is prepared to utilize “all means” necessary to protect its interests.
Sergey Lavrov emphasized that, despite the absence of a formal war declaration between Russia and the U.S., the decision by Washington to permit Ukraine to deploy longer-range American missiles against Russian territory represents a precarious escalation in tensions. He pointed out the impossibility of Ukraine executing such operations with advanced weapons without direct involvement from American personnel, labeling this involvement as a significant risk. “It’s clear that the West’s assumption that Russia’s red lines could be repeatedly crossed is a grave miscalculation,” Lavrov stated.
Celebrated as the world’s longest-serving foreign minister, having held his position for two decades, Lavrov remarked that the recent deployment of a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile known as Oreshnik against Ukraine was a clear warning to Western nations. He highlighted that this demonstration of military capabilities illustrates Russia’s readiness to take any measures required to defend its legitimate interests in Ukraine. “The message we aimed to convey through this hypersonic system’s actual usage is our commitment to do whatever it takes to safeguard our interests,” he elaborated. Lavrov insisted that the U.S. and its allies, who supply long-range weaponry to the Ukrainian government, must recognize Russia’s resolve to prevent what they perceive as a strategic defeat.
Following a recent attack on November 21 with the Oreshnik missile, Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the military action as retaliation against Ukrainian assaults on Russian military installations in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, which involved Western-supplied armaments. He conveyed that if Ukraine were to launch further attacks against Russia utilizing Western long-range missiles, Oreshnik could be deployed to target the governmental sector in Kyiv. In his remarks, Putin also indicated that this missile might be employed to strike military sites belonging to Kyiv’s Western allies that enable Ukraine’s strikes on Russian territory.
Putin expressed confidence in the capabilities of the Oreshnik missile, noting its multiple warheads can reach targets at speeds surpassing ten times that of sound, making it resilient against current air defense systems. A senior figure within Russia’s missile forces stated that this missile, equipped to carry either conventional or nuclear warheads, possesses an operational range that encompasses the entirety of Europe.
Lavrov noted that Russia had sent a warning to the U.S. regarding the Oreshnik launch 30 minutes prior to its execution using a specialized automated system designed for such notifications. He stressed that although the thought of a war with the United States, especially one with nuclear implications, is unwelcome, the prospect of any nuclear exchange between Russia and NATO allies would likely escalate into a broader conflict, inevitably targeting the U.S. “Discussing the possibility of limited nuclear exchanges is inviting disaster, an outcome we wish to avoid,” Lavrov cautioned.
When discussing the Kremlin’s stance on possible peace negotiations, Lavrov reaffirmed Putin’s insistence that Ukraine must withdraw its military forces from the four regions Russia annexed in September 2022 and abandon its application to join NATO. He stated that any potential peace accord must guarantee the rights of Russian-speaking individuals in Ukraine. In response to a question regarding his opinion on Donald Trump, Lavrov acknowledged him as “a very strong individual, someone determined to achieve results and not prone to delays in decision-making.”
