Moscow expects its "signal" to the West, demonstrated through the use of its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, to be "taken seriously", Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

“We don't want to aggravate the situation in Ukraine), but since ATACMS and other long-range weapons are being used against mainland Russia, we are sending signals," Lavrov indicated in an interview aired late Thursday with US journalist Tucker Carlson in Moscow.

"We hope that the last one, a couple of weeks ago, the signal with the new weapon system called Oreshnik, was taken seriously," he said.

Lavrov highlighted that Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons would be impossible without the "direct participation" of US military personnel, describing the situation as "dangerous". He also emphasized that Russia's actions were meant to convey its readiness to employ "any means" to prevent a "strategic defeat".

“The message which we wanted to send by testing in real action this hypersonic system is that we will be ready to do anything to defend our legitimate interests. We hate to even think about war with the United States, which will take on a nuclear character,” the top Russian diplomat emphasized.

On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile had struck a facility in Dnipro, Ukraine, in retaliation for Kiev's use of Western-supplied long-range weapons on Russian soil.

Lavrov also highlighted existing dialogue channels between Moscow and Washington, noting that the US continues to reiterate its public calls for Russia to accept Ukraine’s peace proposals.

Addressing potential terms for peace, Lavrov stated that Moscow is willing to negotiate based on principles agreed upon during talks in Istanbul in April 2022. He underlined a "key principle": Ukraine must not join any military bloc, including NATO.

“No NATO. Absolutely. No military bases, no military exercises on Ukrainian soil with the participation of foreign troops,” Lavrov stressed.

The Russian Foreign Minister accused NATO, under US President Joe Biden’s administration, of seeking to expand its infrastructure in Eurasia. He also said that the Biden administration aimed to "leave a legacy to the Trump administration as bad as they can."

The top Russian diplomat described Trump as a "very strong" and results-oriented leader.

"This is my impression. He's very friendly in discussions. But this does not mean that he's pro-Russian as some people try to present him. The amount of sanctions we received under the Trump administration was very big," he noted.

Lavrov added that Russia respects the American people’s choice in last month’s presidential election and is open to engaging with Trump after his inauguration.

Read more: Russia ready for Trump’s peace proposal: Deputy FM