Sergey Lavrov's Munich Security Conference Remarks

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Lavrov noted that 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of WW II's victory of allied forces over the scourge of Nazism and imperial Japan.

Soviet Russia's vital role is distorted, downplayed, or ignored, the heroic efforts of its forces mostly responsible for victory in Europe, US efforts secondary in importance.

Lavrov stressed that "(n)o one and nothing can belittle the decisive role of the Red Army and the Soviet people in defeating Nazism."

Without their heroics on the Eastern front, Nazi Germany likely could have won the war instead of getting smashed.

Unity against the scourge it represented vanished in the post-war period. Nazi fascism was transplanted from its Berlin headquarters to Washington.

Its menace to humanity today is vastly greater than what Nazi Germany posed, Lavrov saying the following:

"(T)he (current) threats and risks to humanity have never been at such an all-time high (in) the post war period." 

"The strategic stability and non-proliferation treaty system is being destroyed right before our eyes" — because of reckless Trump regime actions. 

"The threshold for using nuclear weapons is getting lower." 

"Regional crises are multiplying, and international law is being trampled upon, including through military interference in affairs of sovereign states, illegal sanctions and harsh protectionist measures that undermine global markets and the system of trade." 

"We are witnessing barbarization of international relations which degrades human habitat" — US rage for unchallenged global dominance to blame for what's ongoing.

Its rogue allies share blame for partnering with what demands condemnation.

"(S)aving the world for future generations" is at risk, Lavrov stressed. Transforming swords into plowshares should be prioritized instead of the other way around.

A European "credibility crisis" exists. "The escalation of tension, the eastward advancement of NATO's military infrastructure, the unprecedentedly massive military exercises near Russia's border and pumping inordinate amounts of money into (US and other Western war) budgets create unpredictability." 

"The Cold War patterns have once again become a reality." 

"Before it's too late, it is time to say no to promoting the Russian threat' phantom or any other threat for that matter, and to go back to things that unite us."

The US needs enemies to unjustifiably justify advancing its imperium. None exist so they're invented.

Instead of prioritizing world peace, stability, mutual cooperation among nations, the rule of law, and other democratic values, Washington's agenda is polar opposite.

Its rage to control other nations, their resources and populations by brute force if other methods fail is humanity's greatest threat.

Lavrov called it unacceptable to turn the territory of targeted nations into battlegrounds, "us(ing) terrorists to achieve self-serving geopolitical goals" — how the US and its imperial allies operate, adding:

"Guided by international law, Russia will continue to promote a settlement in Syria as part of the Astana process and UN mechanisms and to help bring the Libyan parties closer together as the only way to restore the country's statehood destroyed by NATO." 

"Russia's Collective Security Concept for the Persian Gulf Region is designed to provide lasting normalization of the situation in the region." 

"(W)e will be promoting a balanced approach in our attempts to find a fair solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on existing international agreements." 

"We will continue to stress that replacing legally binding decisions on the Iranian nuclear program with illegitimate unilateral moves is unacceptable."

Global challenges are too great for nations to go it alone in dealing with them — mutual cooperation and multi-world polarity the only acceptable choices, along with respecting the rule of law.

Lavrov: "Russia is and always has been opposed to coercive measures and has welcomed political and diplomatic means of resolving disputes, which, let us be honest, inevitably arise due to human nature itself." 

"But peace has never been something you can get for free. It requires constant, sometimes the most laborious efforts."

Andrey Sakharov once warned that "(n)uclear war might arise from an ordinary war. The latter, as is widely known, arises from politics."

Lavrov concluded saying "diplomats, politicians," and other Munich Security Conference participants "are responsible for preserving peace."

The choice is simple in the nuclear age — a world at peace or destroyed by imperial arrogance.

A Final Comment

Asked about the situation in Idlib, Syria, Lavrov stressed that Russia's involvement aims to defeat terrorism in the province, its surrounding areas, (and throughout Syria).

It's also all about respecting, protecting, and preserving Syrian sovereignty, free from hostile occupiers and jihadists they support.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html