Moscow seeks to build a system of international diplomacy free from the destructive influence of the West, the foreign minister has said

Russia is facing "critical challenges" in the international arena as it seeks to preserve the world order established after World War II from Western attempts to impose hegemony through militarism and to reject international cooperation, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

Washington and its allies have "thrown in their lot" with resurgent Nazism, "forceful domination and neocolonialism" as they seek to contain Russia and other nations they see as competitors, the foreign minister said in a video address commemorating a professional holiday dedicated to diplomats.

The foreign minister pointed to the "invaluable contribution" Soviet diplomats made to the creation of the post-war world order in the late 1940s, including the establishment of the United Nations and the development of its Charter and its principles, which "remain relevant nowadays as well." Lavrov called on the diplomats to "do everything possible" to defend Russia's national interests and create safe, favorable conditions for the nation's development and its citizens' welfare.

"We will continue to develop diversified cooperation with all sensible partners, primarily the world majority," the minister said, adding that Moscow would seek to strengthen ties to its neighbors as well as Eurasian, African and Latin American nations.

Together with "likeminded" nations, Russia would contribute to strengthening the multipolar world order and the establishment of a "Eurasian security architecture" as well as develop international cooperation mechanisms that would be free from "the destructive influence of the Western minority," Lavrov stated.

His words came as Moscow remains engaged in a protracted military conflict against Kiev. Russia has repeatedly described the standoff as a proxy war led by the West in a bid to weaken the nation it sees as a competitor. It has also repeatedly pointed to what it called the "Nazi nature" of the Ukrainian government backed by Washington and its allies and called the "denazification" of Ukraine one of the key goals of its military campaign.

Russia has repeatedly warned that the West's ever-increasing engagement in the ongoing conflict through military and financial aid to Kiev could lead to a direct clash between Moscow and NATO. It has also repeatedly stated that it was ready for dialogue and a diplomatic solution to the conflict as long as the reality on the ground is taken into account.

In fall 2022, four former Ukrainian territories, including the two Donbass republics and Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, joined Russia following a series of referendums - a development that Kiev refuses to recognize.

(RT.com)