‘This Is No Laughing Matter’: Lavrov Says Entire West Has United Against Russia, Warns of Its ‘Dismemberment’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the West has united against Russia and accused Western governments of using Ukraine to weaken Moscow. “This is no laughing matter: the entire West has united against Russia,” Lavrov said, according to comments reported by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The foreign minister claimed that Ukraine’s recent battlefield progress has been made possible by support from Kyiv’s allies. He also alleged that Western countries hoped to “dismember” Russia and turn the Russian public against the country’s leadership. Ukraine’s partners have consistently said that their military assistance is intended to help the country defend itself against Russia’s invasion. Lavrov also accused Western governments of issuing ultimatums to Moscow over ending the war and indicated that the Kremlin was unwilling to make concessions. “Russia should not become angry or fall into hysteria, but develop a healthy anger in its foreign policy,” he said. The Russian foreign minister separately described the Baltic states as the West’s “main warheads” against Moscow. He criticized discussions in the region concerning restrictions on the possible deployment of nuclear weapons, portraying them as another threat to Russia. Last June, Lavrov said Moscow would not agree to halt fighting along the current front line as a precondition for peace negotiations with Ukraine, arguing that Russia had already been “deceived” once during failed talks in 2022. Other Topics of Interest Majority of Poles Oppose Backing Ukraine’s EU Bid, Poll Finds A new Opinia24 poll found growing Polish opposition to Ukraine’s EU integration and a possible postwar troop deployment, while respondents remain divided over military aid. Lavrov said Russia remained open to negotiations but insisted any talks must involve what he called “sensible proposals” and “reasonable people” on the Ukrainian side. “We will not take anyone at their word,” Lavrov said. He dismissed calls for a ceasefire along the current line of contact before negotiations begin, saying Moscow had tried a similar approach during the Istanbul talks in the early months of the war. According to Lavrov, Russia halted military operations and withdrew forces from areas near Kyiv as a “gesture of goodwill,” only to see the negotiations collapse. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.