US, EU are exploiting Ukraine issue, distracting from problems in Middle East: Lavrov

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that the US and the European Union are exploiting the topic of Ukraine and are distracting developing countries from the problems in the Middle East.

“The Americans and Europeans are exploiting the Ukrainian issue, trying to blackmail and threaten developing countries, diverting their attention from the problems of the Middle East and other regions of the Global South, saying that if we beat Russia, everything will sort itself out,” Lavrov said at a UN Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East.

He said that through these distractions, the crises observed, which developing countries have long been striving to settle, fall victim to “the hypocrisy and colonial instincts of the West, which is obsessed with its selfish interests to dictate its demands to the whole world.”

In this regard, Lavrov pointed to the Middle East Quartet -- an international initiative on finding a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict composed of Russia, the US, the UN and the EU -- as having “fallen victim to such actions.”

He further called on the UN to pay more attention to compliance with decisions of the Security Council, especially with those related to the Israeli-Palestinian settlement.

"We would also like the UN Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) to be more proactive in fulfilling his duties as moderator of the Quartet, without waiting for permission,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov also called on Israelis and Palestinians to stop “all unilateral actions that jeopardize the possibility of realizing the two-state formula.”

"With deep regret and concern, we state that the Palestinian problem remains 'outboard' of positive changes. Initiating today's meeting, we set the task of raising attention to the unprecedented growth of tension and violence in the zone of the Arab-Israeli conflict,” he added.

Lavrov said that Russia welcomed positive changes in the region, specifically referring to the restoration of bilateral relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia with the mediation of China.

At the same time, he said it is time for Western countries to answer to the UN General Assembly for the resolutions sabotaged in the UN Security Council, adding that the US and its allies exerted “the utmost effort so that every time the veto is used on any issue in the Security Council, this issue is put to a debate at the UN General Assembly."

"We did not object even though the idea was openly aimed against Russia…We have nothing to hide. When we use the veto, we clearly explain the reason behind it. We do not hesitate to repeat our arguments at the General Assembly," he said, adding despite this, the veto is an “inalienable right” and its application “does not contain any violations of the (UN) Charter."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Following the UN Security Council session, Lavrov held talks with his Palestinian and United Arab Emirates counterparts.