Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has criticized the United Nations Charter, stating that while it is an ideal document for the current day, the West has never respected its fundamental principle of sovereign equality of states.
"The UN Charter is a perfect document for today. There is a main principle there, which the West has never respected. It says: the UN is based on the sovereign equality of states. Name me a single conflict in which the West would treat the participants in the process as equals? Never," Lavrov pointed out at a diplomatic forum in Antalya.
He emphasized that even within the framework of the Minsk agreements, the West did not consider Russia as a country that should be respected.
"And in these Minsk agreements, it was just a matter of saying that a small part of eastern Ukraine would have the right to speak Russian, to teach their children in Russian, [its residents] would be able to have their own local police and would have to be consulted when judges and prosecutors are appointed. That's it. It's about the same as what [French President Emmanuel] Macron wants to give Corsica. This is a much lower degree of autonomy than exists in many Western countries for national minorities," Lavrov summarized.
Lavrov's critique of the UN Charter and the West's approach to sovereign equality reflects broader tensions in international relations. It underscores the importance of upholding the principles of sovereignty and equality among nations, as outlined in the UN Charter, in addressing conflicts and promoting peace and stability.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS