Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answers to media questions following his meeting with members of the Valdai International Discussion Club, Moscow, October 24, 2022

Question: The White House, or to be more exact, John Kirby, is accusing Iran of supplying Russia with drones and saying that this is making Iran a party to the conflict. Given this, the United States is an obvious party to the conflict by its own standards. How will Russia respond to its involvement in practical terms?

Sergey Lavrov: They are living, not by the standards of international law but by their own rules that they have written themselves. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has said this more than once. These “rules” mean that anything goes for the US.

As for drones from Iran, representatives of Tehran and Moscow officially gave an exhaustive answer to this question at the UN Security Council.

Question: Was the potential use of a “dirty bomb” by Ukraine discussed in public? In the past few days, the Defence Minister and the Chief of General Staff had telephone conversations on this subject. Do you plan any contacts on this issue?

Sergey Lavrov: Our information on Ukraine’s potential provocations involving the use of a nuclear bomb is sufficiently reliable. Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu conveyed the detailed data, complete with the names of research institutes that may be involved in this, during his telephone conversations with his counterparts from the US, France, the UK, and Türkiye. Russian military agencies are planning other contacts as well. This issue will also be discussed at the UN Security Council today or tomorrow.

Our Western colleagues have groundlessly refuted this warning as a fabrication. They allege that Russia itself is planning to do something of this sort in order to accuse the Zelensky regime. But this talk is not serious. Some of our interlocutors suggested discussing the information that we have in our possession at the professional military level. We have supported this approach.

Question: The annual report by the Valdai Club suggests that a “cold peace” will replace the ongoing clashes and aggravation of relations. Do you see any prospects for this?

Sergey Lavrov: It is possible to give different names to processes or eras. The correct name will be given to the current stage, and it will become common for the generations to come.

Question: What do you derive hope from?

Sergey Lavrov: “Hopes feed young men,” whereas our profession compels us to work as professionally as we possibly can on resolving the set tasks. At the current historical stage, they are defined in the Constitution of Russia and the Foreign Policy Concept: to create the best possible external conditions for the economic development of our country, and ensure the security and social wellbeing of our citizens. The current period obviously shows that all this implies the defence of the honour, dignity and historical legacy of our people.