Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that Moscow is prepared to employ “all means” to defend its interests, including advanced hypersonic weaponry, and said any war with the U.S. “will take nuclear character.”
In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, released Friday, Lavrov emphasized Russia’s readiness to escalate if necessary.
The 80-minute segment covered topics including Russia’s relationship with the U.S., foreign policy decisions, and the implications of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term on the war in Ukraine.
Lavrov, who—with over 20 years on the job—is the world’s longest-serving foreign minister, criticized Washington for permitting Ukraine to utilize American-supplied long-range missiles in attacks on Russian territory, describing this as a perilous escalation.
He said the Western belief that Russia’s red lines could be “moved again and again” is “a very serious mistake.”
Regarding peace negotiations, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s conditions, including Ukraine’s withdrawal from four regions annexed by Russia in September 2022 and the abandonment of its NATO membership aspirations.
He also called for the protection of Russian speakers’ rights in Ukraine.
Lavrov Links Biden’s Actions to War Escalation
President Joe Biden’s approval for Ukraine to employ Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a range of up to 186 miles, enables deeper penetration into Russian-held areas.
Ukrainian officials view the authorization as a pivotal development that could alter the war’s trajectory. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described it as a “game changer,” emphasizing its potential to significantly affect Ukraine’s military operations.
“It is obvious that the Ukrainians would not be able to do what they’re doing with long-range modern weapons without direct participation of the American servicemen,” Lavrov said. “And this is dangerous, no doubt about this.”
Russia’s hypersonic weaponry can travel at five times the speed of sound—approximately 3,836 miles per hour.
Lavrov spoke more positively when Carlson asked about Trump.
He said he is “a very strong person, a person who wants results, who doesn’t like procrastination on anything.”
War With US Will Take on a ‘Nuclear Character’
The recent deployment of Russia’s new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, Oreshnik, was highlighted by Lavrov as a message to the West regarding Moscow’s determination.
“The message which we wanted to send by testing in real action this hypersonic system is that we will be ready to do anything to defend our legitimate interests,” he said.
Lavrov added that any efforts by the U.S. and its allies to deliver long-range weapons to Kyiv would not go unanswered.
“We hate even to think about war with the United States, which will take nuclear character,” he said, adding that exchange of nuclear strikes between Russia and NATO allies in Europe would unavoidably escalate into a broader conflict involving all parties.
Russia has the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, with an estimated 5,889 warheads as of 2024, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Over 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons are made up of Russian and U.S. stockpiles.
Calls to End Western Aid to Kyiv
Russian President Vladimir Putin characterized the Nov. 21 Oreshnik strike as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian military facilities in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, conducted with Western-supplied weaponry.
Putin warned that further assaults on Russian territory could lead to strikes on Kyiv’s government district or military facilities of Western nations aiding Ukraine.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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