ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday told the 80th session of the UN General Assembly that Moscow “has never had, and does not have” intentions to attack NATO or the European Union, stressing that any aggression against Russia would be “decisively rebuffed.”

“We have repeatedly proposed to NATO capitals that they respect their commitments and agree on legally binding security guarantees. Our proposals have been ignored and continue to be ignored.

"Moreover, threats to use force against Russia, which is accused of practically planning to attack NATO and EU countries, are becoming increasingly common,” Lavrov said.

He underlined that President Vladimir Putin had “repeatedly debunked such provocations,” adding: “Russia has never had, and does not have, such intentions. However, any aggression against my country will be decisively rebuffed. There should be no doubt about this.”

Palestine and Middle East

Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lavrov said the world is “witnessing an attempt at a coup d’etat aimed at burying the UN resolution on the creation of a Palestinian state.”

He said there is “no justification” for Israel’s actions that have led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians, including children, and the destruction of hospitals and schools in Gaza.

He also criticized plans to annex the West Bank and what he described as “collective punishment” of Palestinians.

Lavrov questioned why Western countries delayed recognizing Palestine despite announcing intentions months earlier.

“Apparently, they hoped that soon there would be nothing and no one to recognize,” he said.

The Russian foreign minister also touched on the situation concerning Iran's nuclear program, saying that the West's rejection of China and Russia's anti-Iran sanctions initiative at the UN Security Council exposed its "policy of sabotaging the search for constructive solutions in the UN Security Council and its desire to extract unilateral concessions from Tehran through blackmail and pressure."

"We consider this policy unacceptable, and all Western manipulations to restore UN anti-Iran sanctions, as well as the sanctions themselves, are illegal," Lavrov added.​​​​​​​

UN reform and multipolarity

Lavrov devoted a significant portion of his address to calls for reforming the UN and global governance.

He advocated for expanding the Security Council to include permanent members from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, specifically naming Brazil and India, while correcting what he called “historical injustices” against Africa.

He urged democratization of the IMF, World Bank, and WTO in line with the rising influence of the Global South and warned against what he termed Western attempts to replace the UN Charter with a “rules-based order.”

“Equality is the foundation of an objectively emerging multipolarity. Russia is not advocating for revolution against anyone … We simply call on member states and the leadership of the Secretariat to strictly adhere to all the principles of the UN Charter without double standards,” Lavrov said.

US-Russia relations

The Russian diplomat said Moscow “places certain hopes” on continuing dialogue with Washington following the Alaska summit with US President Donald Trump.

He cited Putin’s recent proposal to extend the New START Treaty’s quantitative limits for one year beyond its February 2026 expiration, provided the US also complies, as a step to prevent a strategic arms race and maintain predictability.