Sergei Lavrov Quotes

Attempts to settle crises by unilateral sanctions outside the framework of U.N. Security Council decisions threaten international peace and stability. Such attempts are counterproductive and contradict the norms and principles of international law.

- Sergei Lavrov

The struggle against terrorists in the territory of Syria should be structured in cooperation with the Syrian government, which clearly stated its readiness to join it.

- Sergei Lavrov

We provide transit facilities, we cooperate in equipping the Afghan army and security forces with arms and helicopters, we cooperate in training officers for law enforcement agencies.

- Sergei Lavrov

If you think that a coup to overthrow the elected government is a coup everywhere, then you should remember how elections in Ukraine took place in 2004, how elections in Georgia took place in 2003, when the elections results have been torn and thrown away by revolutionary action.

- Sergei Lavrov

When the Georgian army started this assault against the sleeping city of Tskhinvali, the Georgian peacekeepers, serving in one contingent with their Russian friends, joined the army and started killing the Russian comrades in arms.

- Sergei Lavrov

We can say that Japan is the only country that calls into question the outcome of the Second World War; no one else does.

- Sergei Lavrov

When Colonel Gadhafi started using his air force against civilians on the ground, we did not hesitate. Then we supported the resolution of the Security Council, which introduced arms embargo for Libya.

- Sergei Lavrov

We have become stronger economically; we have been successfully resolving the social problems, raising the level of living - the standards of living - of the population.

- Sergei Lavrov

The Russian Federation and the United States of America, the two biggest nuclear powers in the world, but apart from nuclear-wise, we have a lot in common. We have huge territories, natural resources, technologies, science, education, and of course human capital.

- Sergei Lavrov

On September 11, 2001, Russia's then-president, Vladimir Putin, called U.S. President George W. Bush - making Putin the first international leader to speak with Bush after the attacks.

- Sergei Lavrov

Hours before the Georgian invasion, Russia had been working to secure a United Nations Security Council statement calling for a renunciation of force by both Georgia and South Ossetians. The statement that could have averted bloodshed was blocked by western countries.

- Sergei Lavrov

We believe Russian-American relations are broader and larger than emotions and mutual grudges, including the situation with the U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden.

- Sergei Lavrov

The Americans have taken the course of confrontation and do not assess their own steps critically at all.

- Sergei Lavrov

The attempts to distort the truth and to hide the facts behind blanket accusations have been undertaken at all stages of the Ukrainian crisis.

- Sergei Lavrov

We firmly oppose the use of violence in the course of current transformations in Arab States, especially against civilians. We are well aware of the fact that the transformation of a society is a complex and generally long process, which rarely goes smoothly.

- Sergei Lavrov

Syria is a multi-confessional state: in addition to Sunni and Shia Muslims, there are Alawites, Orthodox and other Christian confessions, Druzes, and Kurds.

- Sergei Lavrov

The E.U.'s Eastern Partnership programme is designed to bind the so-called focus states tightly to itself, shutting down the possibility of co-operation with Russia.

- Sergei Lavrov

Saddam Hussein was the one person after whom the United States went, and they ruined the country.

- Sergei Lavrov

When you buy a company at an auction, and you are committing yourself to pay some $300 million to the state because it was a privatization deal, and you don't pay it, is it OK? Isn't it something that deserves court procedures?

- Sergei Lavrov

We have been protecting the lives of the Russian peacekeepers who had been attacked by their Georgian comrades, because there was a joint peacekeeping force.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia would prefer to rebuild trust rather than allow it to further corrode. That's why, in July 2007, President Putin, in the spirit of strategic openness, proposed a truly collective effort at missile defense for Europe.

- Sergei Lavrov

I can only say that I have good personal relations with all secretaries of state with whom I have a chance to work.

- Sergei Lavrov

I don't believe in ideology in international relations.

- Sergei Lavrov

Sanctions are a sign of irritation; they are not the instrument of serious policies.

- Sergei Lavrov

We have no desire to continue a sanctions war, trading blows.

- Sergei Lavrov

I don't want to say that sanctions are ridiculous and that we couldn't care less; these are not pleasant things... We find little joy in that, but there are no painful sensations. We have lived through tougher times.

- Sergei Lavrov

I started, you know, to work as a diplomat during the Soviet days, and in spite of ideology being very high on the Communist Party agenda, I can assure you that in practical terms, we have always been trying to be pragmatic.

- Sergei Lavrov

Humanitarian issues must bring together all people who act in good faith trying to alleviate the suffering of people in dire need - especially women, children and the elderly.

- Sergei Lavrov

I wouldn't even go into the history of the last days of the Soviet Union, the withdrawal from Europe, and what promises were given at that time, because those were oral promises, and our leaders of that time strongly believe that, like in ancient Russia, a word given is better than any treaty.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia and the U.S. must jointly manage expectations to ensure that attempts to 'reset' our relationship succeed.

- Sergei Lavrov

Shouldn't the General Assembly adopt a declaration on the inadmissibility of interference into domestic affairs of sovereign states and nonrecognition of coup d'etats as a method of the change of power?

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia and the U.S. bear a special responsibility in world affairs. We have much to offer the rest of the world. Our common history testifies to this, and modern challenges demand that we work together.

- Sergei Lavrov

The international community unfortunately did take sides in Libya, and we would never allow the Security Council to authorise anything similar to what happened in Libya.

- Sergei Lavrov

People versed in politics need not be told that the devil is in the detail, and tough solutions implying the use of force cannot produce a lasting long-term settlement.

- Sergei Lavrov

The jihadists come from many European countries, Russia included, and some even from the United States; hundreds of them - if you take Europe, Russia and the U.S. - are fighting in the ranks of extremist groups.

- Sergei Lavrov

I don't think you can perpetrate war crimes with defensive weapons, with air defense systems.

- Sergei Lavrov

If you say that your national law allows you to do something, it is fine as long as you do this inside your own territory. As long as you go international, you really have to be sure that there is an international law which you respect and which you follow.

- Sergei Lavrov

Crimea was not a non-nuclear zone in an international law sense but was part of Ukraine, a state which doesn't possess nuclear arms.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia has every reason to dispose of its nuclear arsenal... to suit its interests and international legal obligations.

- Sergei Lavrov

You either deny terrorists any acceptance in the international life, or you make your double standard policy work the way it has been working - 'I don't like that guy in this country, so we will be calling him a dictator and topple him. This guy in another country also dictatorial, but he's our dictator.'

- Sergei Lavrov

If our interests - our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians - have been attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia, for example, I do not see any other way but to respond in accordance with international law.

- Sergei Lavrov

What we did say is that it is up to the Syrians themselves to decide how to run the country, how to introduce the reforms, what kind reforms, without any outside interference.

- Sergei Lavrov

You know that we are not in the regime-change game. We are against interference in domestic conflicts.

- Sergei Lavrov

NATO has a special relationship with countries far away from Europe: Australia, Japan, South Korea. They have joint projects and programmes which are being implemented without these countries becoming members of NATO.

- Sergei Lavrov

We are certain that Ukraine needs profound constitutional reform. In all fairness, we can't see any other way to ensure the stable development of Ukraine but to sign a federal agreement.

- Sergei Lavrov

Frankly speaking, we don't see any other way for the steady development of the Ukrainian state apart from as a federation.

- Sergei Lavrov

We are not wedded to anyone in Syria. We are not concerned with any personality. We are concerned with keeping Syria in one piece, territorially integral, sovereign, independent and secular, where the rights of all groups, ethnic and others, are fully respected.

- Sergei Lavrov

We still believe that if the Russian Federation and the United States bring their minds together, we can develop a common system which would be efficient in protecting the Euro-Atlantic region from threats coming outside this region.

- Sergei Lavrov

We can only talk to those who opt for the sovereign, territorially integral, secular, multiethnic and multi-confessional Syria.

- Sergei Lavrov

The U.S.-led western alliance, while acting as an advocate of democracy, rule of law and human rights, is acting from the opposite position, rejecting the democratic principle of the sovereign right of states enshrined in the U.N. Charter and trying to decide for others what is good and what is bad.

- Sergei Lavrov

Even the state TV channels are not monolithic in their pro-government line, and the views they express are quite pluralistic.

- Sergei Lavrov

There's no room for petty grievances in politics.

- Sergei Lavrov

We are categorically against proliferation of nuclear weapons.

- Sergei Lavrov

Our stand is crystal-clear - we want peace in Ukraine, which can only be attained through broad national dialogue in which all regions and all political forces of the country must participate.

- Sergei Lavrov

It is absolutely unacceptable to talk to Russia - or anyone for that matter - in the language of ultimatums and coercive measures.

- Sergei Lavrov

Conversations with my counterparts in Europe have made clear that many of them recognize NATO's limitations and understand the need for reform.

- Sergei Lavrov

We have been getting out of the situation where we found ourselves in the early '90s, when the Soviet Union disappeared and the Russian Federation became what it is - you know, with no borders, with no budget, no money, and with huge problems starting with lack of food and so on and so forth.

- Sergei Lavrov

I hope that the United States would cooperate with the partners to reduce its debt. The debt is a problem. The debt is with you, but unfortunately, the debt is not only with you but with us and with the rest of the world because we all, one way or another, are dependent on the dollar.

- Sergei Lavrov

Every country has its political face and political traditions.

- Sergei Lavrov

We have looked into the general problems with adoption in the United States, and we discovered - on the basis of the reports written by American NGOs - we discovered that not only Russians but kids from other countries and the American-born kids have been subject to very unfortunate behavior on the part of their adopted parents.

- Sergei Lavrov

Do not form your judgment about our military doctrine from the assessments given by NATO representatives.

- Sergei Lavrov

With regards to the expansion of NATO, I see it as a mistake, even a provocation in a way.

- Sergei Lavrov

NATO cannot accept that the unconstitutional coup in Ukraine has not led to the subjugation of the whole Ukrainian nation.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia and the U.S. have unique experience in ensuring the safety and security of nuclear material.

- Sergei Lavrov

If you look at U.S. Congress, 80 percent of them have never left the U.S.A., so I'm not surprised about Russophobia in Congress.

- Sergei Lavrov

We feel no isolation. But, having said that, I want to emphasise in particular that we do not want to go to extremes and abandon the European and American directions in our foreign economic cooperation.

- Sergei Lavrov

Assertions that Russia has undermined efforts to strengthen partnerships on the European continent do not correspond to the facts.

- Sergei Lavrov

You cannot strengthen the law by violating the law.

- Sergei Lavrov

Washington has openly declared its right to unilateral use of force anywhere to uphold its own interests.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia has been entirely proportionate in its military response to Georgia's attack on Russian citizens and peacekeepers.

- Sergei Lavrov

If it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist, if it fights like a terrorist, it's a terrorist, right?

- Sergei Lavrov

I very much hope that the United States will finally... realise that they can no longer act as the prosecutor, the judge, and the executioner in every part of the world and that they need to cooperate to resolve issues.

- Sergei Lavrov

All our security now depends on the wise decisions and cooperation of our leaders.

- Sergei Lavrov

For years, we have been asking the E.U. to create something similar to the Russia-NATO council. Not in order to simply exchange opinions and work out recommendations, but to make decisions.

- Sergei Lavrov

Regarding the visa-free regime, it has undoubtedly become a problem for the European Union, above all in terms of its capacity to reach agreements.

- Sergei Lavrov

Iran will be the most checked and inspected country if the principles agreed in Lausanne are transferred into the language of practical agreements.

- Sergei Lavrov

We are convinced that the only way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue is through negotiations.

- Sergei Lavrov

Germany has traditionally played a very constructive role regarding E.U. ties with Russia and the West as a whole with Russia.

- Sergei Lavrov

We have absolutely no intention of, or interest in, crossing Ukraine's borders.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia is doing all it can to promote early stabilisation in Ukraine.

- Sergei Lavrov

We believe that this is not right for a democracy to make revolutions the beacon of promoting democracy.

- Sergei Lavrov

In the spirit of commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, we will strive to achieve real progress in disarmament and arms control.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia has done more than any other country to support the independent Ukrainian state, including for many years subsidising its economy through low energy prices.

- Sergei Lavrov

There is nothing in this world which could be not described as requiring more.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russian citizens being attacked is an attack against the Russian Federation.

- Sergei Lavrov

We are categorically against any new military nuclear power, be it Iran, be it North Korea, be it anyone.

- Sergei Lavrov

Attempts to put pressure on Russia and to compel it to abandon its values, truth and justice have no prospects whatsoever.

- Sergei Lavrov

A second opinion never hurts, not only in medicine, but also in politics.

- Sergei Lavrov

You cannot defeat Islamic State with airstrikes only. It's necessary to cooperate with ground troops, and the Syrian army is the most efficient and powerful ground force to fight the Islamic State.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia probably knows the true cost of revolutions better than most other countries.

- Sergei Lavrov

When Ukrainians kill Ukrainians, I believe this is as close to a civil war as you can get.

- Sergei Lavrov

We keep our reserves both in dollars and in Euros mostly.

- Sergei Lavrov

Historical experience shows that a crisis causes either a recovery or catastrophic consequences.

- Sergei Lavrov

I know that Britain and the United States and others ship arms in the Middle East, 10 or maybe 100 times more than the Russian does.

- Sergei Lavrov

Russia would not support anything which would be actually imposed on Syrians.

- Sergei Lavrov

I can only say it is not for us to decide who should lead Syria. It is for the Syrians to decide.

- Sergei Lavrov