Sanctions on Russia by West is reason behind countries' sufferings: Lavrov

New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): The countries are not affected by the Moscow-Kyiv conflict but the sanctions and policy of blackmail, which the West is promoting are the real reason behind their sufferings, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
While talking at the Raisina Dialogue, Lavrov said this is the war against everything Russian in Ukraine. Ukraine totally cancelled the Russian Language in their region but no one asked the question to Kyiv, Lavrov wondered.
"The countries of the region are not affected by what we are doing in Ukraine. They are affected by the reaction of the West on our work in Ukraine. For decades, we we had warned them first that they should stop the expansion of NATO and pushing arms into Ukraine or prepare them for the war against us. I just participated in the G20 Ministerial," the Russian Foreign Minister stated while answering the query on affected countries in the region by the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Our Western friends were shouting on the microphone 'Russian must'. And though the developing countries delegates were also saying that 'we want to stop the war when Russia is ready to negotiate'," he added.
"Everyone's asking when Russia is ready to negotiate.Nobody asks Zelenskyy when he's going to negotiate. Last yr, Zelenskyy signed a document making it a criminal offence to negotiate with Russia as long as Putin is present.Can you ask him what he's doing?: Russian FM Lavrov said.
Lavrov further stated that he asked G20 members, who signed the declaration during the Bali summit, the question that whether the group ever reflected in the Declarations situation in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, or in Yugoslavia.
He also said that these days when it is not something that the West is doing, believe that it is right. When Russia after many years of warnings started to defend itself, there is nothing except Ukraine. "It's a shame and this policy would fail. If they say this is existential for them, it is existential for us," he added.
Talking about the European countries, the Russian Foreign Minister said that the Ministers of these nations travel all over the globe and tell the countries to behave. Joint sanctions, vote the way Europeans tell one. "If they are such big democrats, they should respect the right of other countries to take their own positions. Russian President Vladimir Putin explained in great detail before we started this aggression why we are doing this, why we didn't have any other choice. The West condemned. Treat others as grown-ups. Don't tell them what position to take. The developing world was basically silent until the West started blackmailing and threatening them and sanctioning them who do not sanction Russia," Lavrov said.
"If we see these countries (from the West) they were conquering land and exploiting the people. Unfortunately, the West did not drop its neocolonial habits... the West is still promoting its interests without considering the interests of the global community: Russian FM Lavrov in Delhi
"Many friends in the developing world tell me how this is being done. The Americans tell them they must vote this way or else. And they say 'Ok' I will vote the way you want me because I believe this can be explained by the UN but what do I get in return? And the answer from the Americans is that you wouldn't be punished. Very fair deal," he added. (ANI)