By Iclal Turan
NEW YORK (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused Western countries of “shaking” global stability.
“Today, the West turns selectively to norms and principles from a case-by-case basis exclusively based on their parochial geopolitical needs,” Lavrov said at a UN Security Council meeting.
“This has resulted in a shaking of global stability as well as the exacerbation and the fomenting of new hotbeds of tension,” he added.
Lavrov said NATO could have prevented the ongoing crisis in Europe had it not rejected proposals put forward by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) -- a military alliance between Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
Noting that there are calls from Brussels to expand membership of the EU, Lavrov said: “It's not about Serbia, not about Türkiye, where for decades, hopeless talks have been carried out for their entry, but rather this is about Ukraine.”
Recalling EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who said Ukraine has to become a member of the European Union, Lavrov said: “This would have taken years and now there's a need to do so without respect for any criteria. Serbia, Turkey and others still wait.”
- US accuses Russia of war crimes on ‘daily basis’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Security Council that “Russia's invasion itself violates the central pillar of the UN Charter”.
“Russia is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine on an almost daily basis,” he said.
He added that Russia is stationing nuclear weapons in Belarus and continuing to use Europe's biggest nuclear power plant and its employees as a “shield for its aggression.”
Accusing Russia of “weaponizing hunger,” Blinken said: “Thanks to the Black Sea Grain initiative brokered by the Secretary-General and Türkiye, approximately 33 million metric tonnes of grain reach global markets, driving down food prices around the world.”