Lavrov delivers anti-west speech during OSCE conference, says mutually respectful dialogue has been ‘killed’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered an anti-west speech whilst addressing the opening of the OSCE ministerial conference in Malta.

“The Helsinki principles are just empty words to NATO and EU. They [the West] expect others to abide by them but only as long as it's in line with their aims,” he said.

During the ministerial conference, Lavrov’s presence received criticism from some of the OSCE member states, whilst Maltese foreign minister and OSCE chair Ian Borg called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine and end its escalation, stating the OSCE must work towards “just and lasting peace”.

The last time Lavrov visited an EU country was in December 2021, when he travelled to Stockholm for an OSCE event prior to the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.

Lavrov claimed that Ukraine's goal is to “keep Russia down and inflict defeat on it on the battlefield,” remarking that there is no area within the OSCE where it can contribute meaningfully, claiming that mutually respectful dialogue has been killed within the 57-nation organisation.

Lavrov stated that the West's anti-tank weapons and barbed wire to Ukraine represents a “reincarnation of the Cold War”, now with a higher risk of escalating into a hot conflict.

Lavrov also referred to the removal of the visa for the Malta conference for his spokesperson Maria Zakharova, saying it was yet “another attempt to destroy consensus.”

“Military exercises are increasing in the South China Sea and Taiwan Straits, while the US has effectively subdued the EU, the Biden administration's expansion of military infrastructure in Asia is clearly an attempt to destabilise the entire continent,” he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga on Thursday told the meeting that Lavrov was a “war criminal.”

“Russia is not a partner; it is the biggest threat to our common security. Russia's participation in the OSCE is a threat to cooperation in Europe,” he said.