Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the United Nations on Saturday, emphasizing the futility of disregarding alternatives to Ukraine’s peace proposals. He cautioned Western nations about the risks associated with attempting to “achieve victory against a nuclear power,” referring to Russia.

During his speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Lavrov criticized those who support Ukraine’s peace initiative. Following Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy introduced a 10-point peace plan nine months later, aimed at achieving a fair resolution to the conflict in accordance with the U.N. Charter and international law. This plan was dismissed by Moscow.

“I will refrain from discussing the absurdity and peril inherent in the notion of striving for victory against a nuclear power, which is what Russia represents,” Lavrov stated.

He further described the insistence of Western supporters of Kyiv that there are no alternatives to negotiations based on the controversial peace formula as equally misguided. Drawing parallels to the West’s historical intentions in the 1940s to “destroy” the Soviet Union, he accused Western nations of seeking to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The present-day Anglo-Saxon strategists are openly expressing their intentions. While they currently aim to overcome Russia by leveraging the illegitimate neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv, they are simultaneously preparing Europe to engage in this perilous venture, Lavrov stated. Additionally, Lavrov expressed Russia’s apprehension regarding the Israeli attack in Beirut that resulted in the death of Hezbollah’s leader, noting that such “political assassinations” have become increasingly frequent.