NEW YORK (Realist English). Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on September 27 that Western powers are eroding the UN Charter, fueling conflicts from the Balkans to the Middle East, and blocking efforts to resolve the Iran nuclear issue. He called for sweeping reforms to global governance that would strengthen the role of the Global South.
Lavrov recalled the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, stressing that the UN Charter remains “a beacon of international cooperation,” but said its principles are “routinely violated” by the division of the world into “the chosen and the rest.” He condemned NATO interventions in Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya, and said Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to “collective punishment” of Palestinians.
On the Middle East, Lavrov balanced condemnation of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack with criticism of Israeli strikes that, he said, destroyed hospitals and schools and left civilians starving. He denounced recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards and on Qatar’s capital during talks involving Hamas and U.S. mediators. He welcomed new recognitions of Palestinian statehood but questioned the delay, urging urgent steps to prevent the burial of the two-state solution.
Addressing Iran, Lavrov rejected Western efforts to trigger the “snapback” of UN sanctions, calling them “illegal manipulations” designed to extract one-sided concessions. He said Russia and China had proposed extending the 2015 deal to give diplomacy time, but Western capitals refused.
Turning to Europe, Lavrov accused the West of undermining sovereignty in the Balkans by recognizing Kosovo and undermining Bosnia’s statehood, and of enabling the Kyiv authorities to suppress the Russian language and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He repeated that Russia is open to negotiations if its security and the rights of Russian-speaking communities are guaranteed, but warned that any aggression against Russia will be repelled.
On arms control, Lavrov highlighted President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for Russia to continue observing central New START limits for one year after the treaty expires in February 2026, provided Washington reciprocates. He said the step would help avoid a strategic arms race and stabilize Russian-American ties.
Lavrov also pressed for Security Council reform, backing permanent seats for Brazil and India and correcting what he called a “historic injustice” toward Africa. He argued that the IMF, World Bank and WTO must also be democratized to reflect the weight of Asia, Africa and Latin America. He proposed declaring December 14 an International Day against Colonialism.
Warning against NATO’s expansion into the Indo-Pacific, Lavrov promoted a Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity, backed by Russia and Belarus, to create “equal and indivisible security” for all continental states.
Lavrov concluded that the deterioration of global security stems from “hegemonic ambitions” and urged member states and the UN Secretariat to apply the Charter “without double standards.” Only then, he said, would the legacy of the UN’s founders be preserved.