Russia warns of nuclear danger in UN speech, criticizes US and Israel

Sergey Lavrov, the head of Russian diplomacy, spoke on Saturday at the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he warned the West against engaging in a "fight for victory with the nuclear power that is Russia."

According to Lavrov, the West "wants to deal Russia a strategic defeat in almost the same way the United States and Great Britain planned to do in May 1945."

"At that time, it was kept in the strictest secrecy, and today's Anglo-Saxon strategists do not hide their plans, although for now they rely on defeating Russia at the hands of the illegal neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv. But they are already preparing Europe to take part in this suicidal escapade. I will not discuss the senselessness and danger of the very idea of a 'fight for victory' with the nuclear power that is Russia," said Lavrov.

"Equally senseless is the fact that Western supporters of Kyiv vow that there is no alternative to negotiations based on the infamous peace formula," he added, referring to the 10-point peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He declared that Russia is not increasing its nuclear arsenal and, although it has suspended participation in the New START treaty with Washington, it will adhere to it until it expires in 2026.

Lavrov criticized the United States for its support of Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip.

At a later press conference, he said that the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Friday's Israeli airstrike is a "political assassination." In his opinion, Israel may want to draw Iran into a direct conflict.

"In my opinion, there are those who want to provoke Iran, and then provoke the United States, and then unleash a full-scale war in the entire region," he said. In his view, the lack of response from Iranian authorities is "extremely responsible behavior."