Moscow [Russia], October 23 (ANI): Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that 'all agreements that the West 'sponsored' [with regard to Ukraine] did not prevent it from turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia, a kind of a land-based aircraft carrier for creating threats to our country.'

Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs on Wednesday shared a statement by Lavrov highlighting his concerns over Western actions and their impact on Ukraine and Russia.

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The statement was part of a broader excerpt from Lavrov's interview for a documentary marking Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov's 80th birthday, recorded in Moscow on October 20. While reflecting on cultural and artistic matters with Mikhalkov, Lavrov used the conversation to reiterate his critical stance on Western involvement in Ukraine and to outline Russia's shifting approach to global relations.

On the Ukraine issue, Lavrov emphasised that Russia's commitment to national interests and the protection of ethnic Russians in Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya came at a cost. 'When it became clear that we would uphold our dignity based on our national interests and did not want to be 'friends' with the West at the expense of forgetting about the Russian people... all the agreements that the West 'sponsored' in this regard (including with us)... did not prevent it from driving a hard bargain, turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia, a kind of a land-based aircraft carrier for creating constant threats to the Russian Federation.'

He further reflected on the consequences of this confrontation, noting that it revealed Russia's dependence on the West. 'When we were forced to launch a special military operation, it turned out that the West had taken advantage of our foreign relations to hinder our development. It turned out we were dependent on them. Nikita Mikhalkov spoke about this more than once in his BesogonTV programme.'

Highlighting the lessons learned, Lavrov said the experience reinforced historical patterns of mistrust towards the West, from Tsarist times through the Soviet era. 'From now on and forever... we should have never trusted the West. History taught us this... We have such partners in the SCO and BRICS. Mikhalkov also promotes the topic of new global alliances... and covers every topic that resonates with me as an individual, a diplomat, and a Foreign Minister.'

Lavrov then drew a connection between his geopolitical views and his personal camaraderie with Mikhalkov. 'We share concerns about matters of justice in our country and internationally. We approach these issues from the perspective of what diplomacy can do... securing the most favourable environment for our country's development, addressing socioeconomic issues, and improving our people's living standards,' he said.

He also highlighted Mikhalkov's complementary approach through art and journalism: 'Mikhalkov approaches these same issues as top priorities, leveraging art and journalism as his methods and tools. We often exchange opinions about what he saw in our Ministry's public moves, and what I saw in what he does, primarily as the host of the BesogonTV programme and a theatre figure as well.'

On following the programme himself, Lavrov said, 'I do, and I enjoy it a lot. I always share my emotions and impressions with him. This programme is on target. The genre created by Mikhalkov is perfectly suited to the current moment. It's forthright with just the right amount of humour, occasionally sarcastic. These feelings and emotions, multiplied by his artistic skills, drive the message home.'

Speaking on Russia's approach to international cultural collaboration, Lavrov reaffirmed, 'We are ready and willing to cooperate with anyone who will do so on the basis of equality and mutual respect, not through diktat,' linking his diplomatic vision with cultural diplomacy within frameworks such as BRICS and the SCO.

Concluding the interview, Lavrov tied together Russia's global strategy and Mikhalkov's artistic philosophy: 'A new world is in the process of being created against all odds. This is an entire era in and of itself. Besogon promotes the understanding that creating a just world overnight is not a realistic approach. This is an era that takes sustained effort, a battle in every sense of the word to ensure that the world exists in a form agreed upon in the UN Charter.' (ANI)