Lavrov accuses 'external forces' of sabotaging Gaza ceasefire
2 Min Read
Lavrov blames the West for the two decades of instability in the Middle East, which caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands, alongside the displacement of many others.
-
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends the plenary session of the OSCE in Skopje, Macedonia, on November 30, 2023. (AP)
During a plenary session of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Morocco, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed fingers at unnamed "external forces" on Wednesday for trying to take advantage of the war on Gaza to open the door for a wider war.
"It has become obvious that some external forces are seeking to exploit this new flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to further their interests and ignite a regional war," he said, adding that a much bigger conflict will ensue, dragged on by the United States and its allies.
Lavrov blamed the West for the two decades of instability in the Middle East, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands, alongside the displacement of many others.
This follows a condemnation by Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia, who declared that the US stands as the sole state opposing a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
'Divorcing reality'
Nebenzia highlighted the global consensus on the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and criticized the US for aligning itself against the unanimous stance of the international community.
Read more: Russian Dep. FM, WHO Director discuss Gaza humanitarian disaster
"It would not be an exaggeration to say that there's a consensus in the world about the need to have an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and the only state which stands against, pitting themselves against the entire international community, is the United States," he emphasized.
On December 9, the US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, "diplomatically" shielding its client.
US deputy representative at the UN, Robert Wood, said the resolution was "divorced from reality" and "would have not moved the needle forward on the ground."
Thirteen Security Council members voted in favor of a brief draft resolution, presented through the UAE, while Britain abstained.
"The United Arab Emirates is deeply disappointed," said the representative of the UAE who had sponsored the resolution calling for a ceasefire.
