FM Lavrov Underlines Blatant Exceptionalism In Obama’s Speech

Russia criticises American exceptionalism speech of Obama

The BRICS Post

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a press conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 21, 2015 [Xinhua]

A day after US President Barack Obama’s state of the union address, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed Washington for embarking on a path of confrontation with Moscow.

“Following the United States’ actions, a mood of confrontation has prevailed in the North Atlantic alliance. It has made an absolutely politicized decision on suspending cooperation on military and civilian matters. Effectively, all the projects have been frozen,” Lavrov said in an annual press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.

“This is not Russia’s choice and Moscow does not want and would not allow a new Cold War,” the minister stressed.

Lavrov said Russia and the US “carry great responsibility” in the “world arena” and must work together.

“The Americans have taken a path of confrontation, completely and uncritically assessing their own steps, and President Obama’s speech yesterday shows that there is only one in the center of [his] philosophy: We are Number One. And everyone else just needs to understand that,” Lavrov said during the televised press conference.

He urged Russia’s western partners to understand that the realization of global security is impossible through unilateral actions.

“Western attempts to isolate Russia have been futile,” said the diplomat adding that Russia “consistently works on deeper cooperation within BRICS”.

“We hear a lot of statements from our western partners about the need to isolate Russia. President [of the United States Barack] Obama thought it was appropriate to say almost the same during his address to the nation yesterday. All these attempts will yield no results,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

Obama had during his “State of the Union Address 2015″ said US support for Ukraine was a show of American strength and that Washington had successfully managed to “isolate Russia”.

“Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters,” Obama said.

Lavrov in particular called on the US and EU to resume equal dialogue on bilateral and international issues, including the Ukraine crisis. Moscow is extremely concerned over the new outbreak of violence in eastern Ukraine, he added.

Lavrov also said on Wednesday that those accusing Russia of sending troops and weapons to the conflict-torn south-eastern Ukraine need to substantiate their accusations with proof.

“We hear a lot about the flow of Russian troops and arms. And every time I respond that if one speaks with such certainty then one should present some facts. However, no one is either capable or willing to present us with the facts,” said Lavrov.

On Monday, EU foreign ministers agreed that a future settlement in Ukraine would enable possible “political dialogue” and collaboration with Russia in stabilizing the Middle East and fighting terrorism, EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

Austria’s Sebastian Kurz urged a strategy “for putting the long-term relationship with Russia back on a stable footing.”

Spain’s Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the EU must “distinguish very clearly” between sanctions over Crimea, now firmly in Russia’s control, and the wider economic penalties imposed over Russia’s role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.