Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Nobody Wants Nuclear War, But We Have Ready-To-Use Weapons That Would Have 'Serious Consequences' For Ukraine; October 7 Was Heinous, But Israel's Response Is Unacceptable; Saying That Israel's Actions Should Be Tolerated Because The Jews Were Victims Of The Holocaust Is Comparable To Hitler's Nazi Ideology

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a September 20, 2024, interview on Sky News Arabia (UAE) that nobody wants nuclear war, but that Russia has weapons that are at full combat readiness and that if used, will have "serious consequences" for the rulers of the Ukrainian regime. He said that Russia's relations with Iran, North Korea, or any other country are in keeping with international laws and commitments, regardless of any meaningless "lies" invented by the United States. In addition, he said that the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 invasion and massacres in southern Israel were clearly a "heinous" crime, but that Israel's response, which he described as collective punishment against innocent people and a crime in response to a crime, has been "unacceptable." Moreover, he criticized officials who say that Israel's actions should be forgiven or tolerated because the Jews had been the victims of the Holocaust, and he said that this is a "very bad approach" that is comparable to the "exceptionalism" that characterized Hitler's Nazi ideology.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: "Nobody wants a nuclear war, and we have said this time and again, but I can assure you that we have weapons that, if used, will have serious consequences for the rulers of the Ukrainian regime. We have these weapons at full combat readiness.

"Our relations with Iran – and [the West] – says the same things about our relations with North Korea... I can tell you that our relations with Iran, North Korea, or any other country, and our political, military, or technological cooperation are all entirely in keeping with international law. We do not violate any international commitment. If the U.S. invents ten fairy tales every day, by accusing us of certain hanging offenses – it means nothing.

"Naturally, the terrorist act that took place on October 7 was heinous. All normal people condemn it obviously, but responding to a crime with another crime, by using prohibited collective punishment against innocent people, is unacceptable. I have said many times to my Israeli colleagues, that our country, [the former] USSR had done more than anyone else on this planet to save the Jews, and to defeat the perpetrators of the Holocaust. But it was not just Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. Many Russians, Belarussians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs, and others were also killed – people who live in modern Russia – where the territory of the USSR used to be.

"But when some officials say: 'We, the Jewish people, were the victims of the Holocaust, and therefore, what we are doing should be forgiven or tolerated – this becomes a very bad approach. It is one aspect of the exceptionalism which characterized Hitler's Germany and ideology."