Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with France Télévisions that the United States intends to “take over“ the “Nord Stream“ gas pipeline.
The minister emphasized that the bombing of “Nord Stream“ was carried out by Ukrainian saboteurs with the support of Western intelligence services, but no one condemned them, neither France nor Germany, which, according to Lavrov, “swallowed“ this terrorist attack to the detriment of their own interests.
“The United States now also says that it wants to take over the Nord Stream gas pipeline, the Russian foreign minister said.
Russia hopes that Western countries will stop persistently demanding that Iran refrain from responding to the US and Israeli strikes, Moscow's top diplomat said.
“I don't know how this will end, but I hope that common sense will prevail and our Western colleagues will no longer persistently insist that Iran cease any retaliatory actions against the United States and Israel, which started a war without any grounds“, the minister said.
Lavrov was asked about the attack on the French aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle“ in the Baltic Sea. “It's good that your aircraft carrier is in the Baltic Sea, and not in the Persian Gulf. There were aircraft carriers there too, which began to withdraw. France also seems to be planning to participate in this coalition to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz strait“, the Russian Foreign Minister noted.
European countries categorically do not want to discuss the attack by the Kiev regime on the Russian tanker “Arctic Metagas“, Lavrov said.
On March 3, the Russian Ministry of Transport reported that the Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker “Arctic Metagas“ was attacked in the Mediterranean Sea by unmanned Ukrainian boats in the immediate vicinity of Maltese territorial waters.
“No European country wants to discuss this anywhere“, Lavrov stressed.
The Russian Foreign Minister noted that as a result of the attack, the tanker, which was carrying 140,000 tons of hydrocarbons, “drifts with a huge hole in the middle of its hull“. “This is a potential environmental disaster“, he added he. “The crew was in danger; they were barely evacuated.“
Lavrov specified that Libyan representatives had assisted in the evacuation of the crew members and that “they are now trying to resolve the issue of the security of all this cargo, which is significant“.
“I understand that the aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle“ is more important to you than our tanker“, Lavrov concluded.
Russia wishes all the best to the elected French people, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Minister responded to the sweater with the inscription “USSR“ during the Russian-American summit in Alaska. He reminded the French of their country's national symbol, which expresses the motto “freedom, equality, brotherhood“.
In response to a question in an interview with France Télévisions about the message he intended to send by wearing a sweater with the words “USSR“ in Alaska, Lavrov said: “I was born in the Soviet Union. What message does a Frenchman want to convey when he remembers and honors Marianne on the barricades?“
Commenting on a journalist's remark that “this is history“, the Russian foreign minister noted: “The Soviet Union is also history, just like the Russian Empire, just like the Great French Revolution“. “I don't think you're telling me that you have the right to remember the French Revolution, but we should forget our own history. I don't think that's what you mean. I think you understand what we're talking about,“ added the head of the Russian diplomacy.
“We wish all the best to those elected by the French people“, the minister said, answering a question about whether Moscow is monitoring the election campaign in France.