Russian Says Western Support for Arab Revolts Could Cause a ‘Big War’
THE NEW YORK TIMES: MOSCOW — Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, warned Wednesday that outside encouragement of antigovernment uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa could lead to “a very big war that will cause suffering not only to countries in the region, but also to states far beyond its boundaries.”

Mr. Lavrov’s annual news conference was largely devoted to a critique of Western policies in Iran and Syria, which he said could lead to a spiral of violence.

His remarks came on the heels of a report on state-controlled television that accused the American ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, who has been in Moscow for less than a week, of working to provoke a revolution here. Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, at an impromptu meeting with prominent editors, also unleashed an attack on the liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy, which he said was serving American interests.

Mr. Lavrov said Russia would use its position on the United Nations Security Council to veto any United Nations authorization of military strikes against the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. The United Nations has repeatedly called for Syria end a crackdown on opposition demonstrators, which Arab League monitors say resulted in hundreds of deaths over the past month.

“If someone conceives the idea of using force at any cost — and I’ve already heard calls for sending some Arab troops to Syria — we are unlikely to be able to prevent this,” Mr. Lavrov said. “But this should be done on their own initiative and should remain on their conscience. They won’t get any authorization from the Security Council.”

Mr. Lavrov said foreign governments were arming “militants and extremists” in Syria, and he gave a bristling response to Susan E. Rice, the American ambassador to the United Nations, who on Tuesday expressed concern about possible Russian arms shipments to Syria.

“We don’t find it necessary to explain or justify anything,” Mr. Lavrov said. “We are only trading goods with Syria that are not prohibited by international law.” » | Ellen Barry and Michael Schwirtz | Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Russia Warns Against Air Strike On Iran

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavov has warned that a military strike on Iran would be a “very serious mistake” with “unpredictable consequences”, after Israel’s president Shimon Peres said that an attack was increasingly likely.

n comments published in the Israeli daily Hayom, Mr Peres said that “the possibility of a military attack against Iran is now closer to being applied than the application of a diplomatic option”.

"We must stay calm and resist pressure so that we can consider every alternative," he added.
The drumbeat of war is expected to grow louder this week when United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, issues its most detailed report to date on nuclear research in Iran.

It will provide what Western officials and experts regard as irrefutable evidence that Tehran is compiling the capacity and skills to build a bomb. It will be used as leverage for a fifth round of sanctions at the UN, but could also provide Israel, with the tacit support of Washington, to finalise plans for an air strike.

Among its findings are that Tehran was helped by nuclear experts from two countries, believed to be Russia and Pakistan. The Washington Post reported that key assistance was provided by Vyacheslav Danilenko, a former Soviet nuclear scientist, hired by Iran's Physics Research Centre. » | Alex Spillius | Monday, November 07, 2011

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Russian Foreign Minister Criticises the West for Supporting Arab Protests
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russia and Britain engaged in a war of words over the people power protests across the Middle East as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blasted Western support for demonstrations as counterproductive.

Differences between Mr Lavrov and Foreign Secretary William Hague surfaced during a meeting in London designed to display a rapprochement between Whitehall and the Kremlin after years of tension.

Moscow has called for restraint in the face of demonstrations that have shaken long established regimes. Britain and America have, by contrast, demanded that governments bow to the demands of frustrated protesters.

Tunisia and Egypt have seen the departure of their leaders since the demonstrations began and other regimes have been forced into reforms.

With its own record of corruption and authoritarian leaderships, Russia fears the tide of protest will spread to its own backyard.

"I think that we need to encourage all parties to agree between each other," said Mr Lavrov. "I think that it is counterproductive to impose democracy of a specific pattern."

"We have had one revolution in Russia and we don't believe that we need to call for others." >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Dmitri Medvedev and B. Hussein Obama together. Photograph: Google Images
Obama Knew of FBI Plan But Said Nothing to Medvedev, Admits White House
THE TIMES: The White House admitted yesterday that even as Presidents Obama and Medvedev met last week for talks in Washington, Mr Obama knew the FBI was closing in on an alleged Russian spy ring and chose to say nothing.

The confession was matched by an acknowledgement in Moscow that at least some of the 11 suspects are Russian citizens, but it will do little to assuage Russian anger.

Vladimir Putin accused American officials of being “out of control”, while a Kremlin spokesman said that the US had revived “the spirit of the Cold War”.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said that the only thing that was clear about the raids on Sunday was that their timing had been chosen “with special elegance”. Continue reading and comment >>> Analysis, Tony Halpin, Giles Whittell | Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Russia 'Very Alarmed' by Iran Nuclear Report
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran was driven deeper into international isolation yesterday after Russia said it was "very alarmed" by a leaked UN report which directly accused the country of building a nuclear weapon for the first time.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said Moscow had lost patience with the regime after UN weapons inspectors declared for the first time on Thursday that it was seeking to "weaponise" its nuclear stocks.

"We are very alarmed and we cannot accept this, that Iran is refusing to co-operate with the IAEA," Mr Lavrov said. "Some questions remain on the table and Iran has so far not reacted to them but they are rather serious and we need to understand how several documents concerning military nuclear technology found their way to Iran.

"Clear explanations are needed."

The strong denunciation was a departure for Russia, which has been a brake on efforts to censure Iran until recently.

Iran suffered a double blow on Thursday when a G20 report on money laundering identified the Islamic Republic as the worst violator of laws against funding terrorism and the proliferation of weapons. The report also hinted at concerns that banks in Syria and Turkey, two other nations cited for involvement in terrorism financing, were acting as an axis to help Iran evade UN financial sanctions. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Friday, February 19, 2010

Resetting US-Russia Relations
Watch Reuters video: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov as the US takes steps to revive its relationship with Russia.(02:03) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Australia) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback – Australia) >>>

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Warns Poland over US Anti-missile Shield
THE TELEGRAPH: Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has told his Polish counterpart that Moscow regards a US anti-missile shield, which Poland has agreed to host, as a direct threat to Russian forces.

Speaking after meeting with Poland's foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, in Warsaw, Mr Lavrov, on his first visit to a Western capital since August's Georgian-Russian conflict, said: "Russia cannot fail to see the risks emerging as a result of US strategic forces coming closer to our borders."

Both Poland and the United States insist that the shield poses no threat to Russia, and is intended to protect the West from rouge [sic] states in the Middle East.

But although Mr Lavrov dismissed these claims, arguing the American system targeted Russia, he added that he was open to further discussion on the subject, and tried to ease his country's strained relations with Warsaw by saying that Poland itself posed no threat to his country.

His conciliatory words, which were matched by those of Mr Sikorski, came as marked change of tack from Russia, who has previously threatened to target nuclear weapons at its former Central-European vassal state as a response to Poland agreeing to host American interceptor missiles.

Mr Lavrov's stance and visit to Warsaw, which was in doubt following harsh Polish criticism of Russia's intervention in Georgia, have been interpreted as Moscow attempting to rebuild its war-damaged relations with Europe. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Warns Poland over US Anti-missile Shield >>> By Matthew Day in Warsaw | September 11, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Moscow Warns EU on Georgia Ties: Mikheil Saakashvili Clearly a Thorn in Russians' Side
BBC: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said further Western support for Georgia's present leadership would be a mistake of historic magnitude.

Mr Lavrov called for an embargo on arms supplies to Georgia until a different government was in place there.

He was speaking ahead of an emergency EU summit on the Georgian crisis.

The UK has called on the European Union to suspend talks over a new partnership pact with Russia, to punish the country for its actions in Georgia.

"In light of Russia's actions we should suspend negotiations on a successor to the partnership and co-operation agreement," a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters in London.

The EU summit is expected to condemn Moscow's recognition of independence for Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said his decision is irrevocable. Moscow Warns EU on Georgia Ties >>> | September 1, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
The Cold Peace: The European Union is struggling to find a common position on Russia -- as is the rest of the West. But so far, diplomatic bluster has been the name of the game. What should the world do about Russia's new-found bravado? >>> By Ralf Beste, Uwe Klussmann and Gabor Steingart | September 1, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>