
Assertions that Russia has undermined efforts to strengthen partnerships on the European continent do not correspond to the facts. —
Sergei Lavrov

Conversations with my counterparts in Europe have made clear that many of them recognize NATO's limitations and understand the need for reform. —
Sergei Lavrov

It is absolutely unacceptable to talk to Russia - or anyone for that matter - in the language of ultimatums and coercive measures. —
Sergei Lavrov

Historical experience shows that a crisis causes either a recovery or catastrophic consequences. —
Sergei Lavrov

We have absolutely no intention of, or interest in, crossing Ukraine's borders. —
Sergei Lavrov

When Ukrainians kill Ukrainians, I believe this is as close to a civil war as you can get. —
Sergei Lavrov

I don't think you can perpetrate war crimes with defensive weapons, with air defense systems. —
Sergei Lavrov

We are categorically against proliferation of nuclear weapons. —
Sergei Lavrov

Frankly speaking, we don't see any other way for the steady development of the Ukrainian state apart from as a federation. —
Sergei Lavrov

Germany has traditionally played a very constructive role regarding E.U. ties with Russia and the West as a whole with Russia. —
Sergei Lavrov

Russian citizens being attacked is an attack against the Russian Federation. —
Sergei Lavrov

Regarding the visa-free regime, it has undoubtedly become a problem for the European Union, above all in terms of its capacity to reach agreements. —
Sergei Lavrov

We can only talk to those who opt for the sovereign, territorially integral, secular, multiethnic and multi-confessional Syria. —
Sergei Lavrov

Russia probably knows the true cost of revolutions better than most other countries. —
Sergei Lavrov

We can say that Japan is the only country that calls into question the outcome of the Second World War; no one else does. —
Sergei Lavrov

I don't believe in ideology in international relations. —
Sergei Lavrov

Attempts to put pressure on Russia and to compel it to abandon its values, truth and justice have no prospects whatsoever. —
Sergei Lavrov

We are categorically against any new military nuclear power, be it Iran, be it North Korea, be it anyone. —
Sergei Lavrov

Every country has its political face and political traditions. —
Sergei Lavrov

All our security now depends on the wise decisions and cooperation of our leaders. —
Sergei Lavrov

Russia has every reason to dispose of its nuclear arsenal ... to suit its interests and international legal obligations. —
Sergei Lavrov

The attempts to distort the truth and to hide the facts behind blanket accusations have been undertaken at all stages of the Ukrainian crisis. —
Sergei Lavrov

Russia and the U.S. have unique experience in ensuring the safety and security of nuclear material. —
Sergei Lavrov

Crimea was not a non-nuclear zone in an international law sense but was part of Ukraine, a state which doesn't possess nuclear arms. —
Sergei Lavrov

We have no desire to continue a sanctions war, trading blows. —
Sergei Lavrov

If you look at U.S. Congress, 80 percent of them have never left the U.S.A., so I'm not surprised about Russophobia in Congress. —
Sergei Lavrov

Washington has openly declared its right to unilateral use of force anywhere to uphold its own interests. —
Sergei Lavrov

Even the state TV channels are not monolithic in their pro-government line, and the views they express are quite pluralistic. —
Sergei Lavrov

We are convinced that the only way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue is through negotiations. —
Sergei Lavrov

You know that we are not in the regime-change game. We are against interference in domestic conflicts. —
Sergei Lavrov

The Americans have taken the course of confrontation and do not assess their own steps critically at all. —
Sergei Lavrov

I can only say that I have good personal relations with all secretaries of state with whom I have a chance to work. —
Sergei Lavrov

Russia has been entirely proportionate in its military response to Georgia's attack on Russian citizens and peacekeepers. —
Sergei Lavrov

Saddam Hussein was the one person after whom the United States went, and they ruined the country. —
Sergei Lavrov

In the spirit of commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, we will strive to achieve real progress in disarmament and arms control. —
Sergei Lavrov

We believe that this is not right for a democracy to make revolutions the beacon of promoting democracy. —
Sergei Lavrov

Iran will be the most checked and inspected country if the principles agreed in Lausanne are transferred into the language of practical agreements. —
Sergei Lavrov

Sanctions are a sign of irritation; they are not the instrument of serious policies. —
Sergei Lavrov

If it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist, if it fights like a terrorist, it's a terrorist, right? —
Sergei Lavrov

You cannot strengthen the law by violating the law. —
Sergei Lavrov