Russia does not want to press the nuclear 'red button'.
Russia does not want any nuclear war and believes that discussions about when to press the "red button" are inappropriate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Sky News Arabia.
"We are talking about red lines, hoping that our assessments and statements will be listened to by intelligent people, by those who make decisions. It would not be serious to say that if you don't do what I ask tomorrow, we will press the 'red button'," the Russian Foreign Minister emphasized. "I believe that in such situations, those who make decisions understand what we are talking about. Nobody wants a nuclear war," Lavrov stated.
However, Foreign Minister Lavrov warned that Russia possesses weapons "that could have serious consequences for those in power in Ukraine." "They are in a state of complete combat readiness," Lavrov asserted.
Furthermore, Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that, unlike Europe, Russia always fulfills its obligations under agreements and will not "shoot itself in the foot" by stopping gas supplies. When asked why Russia continues to export gas to the EU, despite any negative feedback from that side, Lavrov replied: "We are decent people. We have signed long-term agreements with Europe. We always fulfill our obligations, unlike Europe and the US."
"Currently, Europe meets its basic needs through liquefied natural gas, including gas from the US. But if someone wants to buy gas from us, we never back down from our agreements. We are neighbors. We have pipeline systems. Despite the fact that three 'Nord Stream' pipelines have been destroyed, the pipeline system remains, including through Ukraine, through Turkey, and through the Black Sea. If it benefits both sides, why 'shoot yourself in the foot'?" the top Russian diplomat noted.
According to Lavrov, for decades, since the Soviet era, since the 1970s, Moscow has established mutually beneficial cooperation in gas supply.
