Lavrov Condemns Israeli Assassinations in Middle East

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has condemned the assassination crimes committed by Israel against political leaders in Lebanese and Palestinian resistance movements, as well as high-ranking Iranian military officials. 

In an interview with Turkey's Hürriyet newspaper, Lavrov voiced frustrations over the inability to bring these actions to the International Security Council due to blockages by Western members.

Lavrov highlighted that Israeli assaults on Gaza and Lebanon have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent victims, escalating tensions and drawing more countries into the conflict vortex. 

He reiterated Moscow’s call for an end to bloodshed in the Middle East and the need to create conditions for a ceasefire, emphasizing that a solution should come through a political settlement based on internationally recognized legal frameworks, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

Expressing confidence in such a resolution to ensure sustainable and lasting peace in the Middle East, Lavrov also touched on the situation in Ukraine, criticizing Western and Kyiv's strategies. 

He mentioned the Ukrainian response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's peace proposal last June, which resulted in Ukrainian forces invading the Kursk region and launching airstrikes on other border areas in Russia.

Lavrov accused the United States and its allies of fully supporting Kyiv, discussing the potential use of long-range Western missiles to strike deep into Russia. 

He noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has yet to repeal his decree prohibiting negotiations with Moscow, diminishing the prospects for successful mediation by any country.

Furthermore, Lavrov found the military-technical cooperation between Turkey and Ukraine surprising, stating, “Unfortunately, Ankara continues its military-technical cooperation with the Kyiv regime, with Ukrainian armed forces using Turkish weapons to kill Russian military personnel and civilians, a stance that is bewildering considering Turkish officials' readiness to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.”