“Beheading” Planned?: Lavrov: US Wants to Kill Putin

A planned “beheading strike”?
Lavrov: US wants to kill Putin

12/28/2022 7:53 am

Is Russia’s President Putin on the US Kill List? His foreign minister, Lavrov, said there were indications that the US would not shy away from the Russian head of state’s “body removal”. In general, according to Lavrov, Moscow’s enemies are “very ready”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the US of plotting to kill Kremlin leader Putin. “Unnamed officials” from the Pentagon threatened to “behead” Russia, Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state agency TASS. “Actually, it’s about the threat of the removal of the Russian head of state,” the Russian ambassador said – without citing any source.

The strategic goal of the United States and its allies in NATO is to “victory over Russia on the battlefield” to weaken or destroy Russia, Lavrov said. Moscow’s enemies are “willing to do more” to achieve this. “The main beneficiary of this ‘burning conflict’ is the United States, which wants to get the maximum benefit in the economic and military-strategic spheres,” Lavrov said. Washington is also pursuing another geopolitical goal – destroying Russia’s traditional ties with Europe.

According to the 72-year-old, the US is doing everything it can to worsen the conflict. Lavrov said that Kiev was being supplied with sophisticated weapons not even supplied to America’s Western allies. This year alone, $40 billion in military aid exceeds the defense budgets of some European countries. On the other hand, Kiev is “trying to drag the Americans and other NATO members deeper into the conflict, hoping that an urgent confrontation with the Russian military can be made inevitable.”

The West continues to speculate that Russia is on the verge of using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, Lavrov criticized. “We are talking about completely different things here – the West’s political trend aimed at total containment of Russia is very dangerous. It carries the risk of direct armed conflict between nuclear powers,” he said. In fact, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin first hinted at the possibility of using nuclear weapons and brought up the nuclear threat.

Lavrov: Ukraine must meet demands

An outcome to the conflict is possible, but depends on Kiev and Washington. According to the terms, Lavrov called for demands such as the “denazification and demilitarization” of areas under Kiev’s control and security guarantees for Russia and its “new territories”. Areas occupied by Russia in the south and east of Ukraine and annexed in violation of international law. Lavrov did not mention Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. Lavrov’s conditions are in stark contrast to Kiev’s demands for an end to the conflict. Kyiv demands the full withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine, including Crimea, as a precondition for talks. The Ukrainian leadership is also demanding compensation from Moscow for war damages.

In his scathing attack on all of Moscow’s “non-friends”, Lavrov also sees Russia’s relations with the EU at a “historic low”. After all, Brussels, following the US and NATO, declared a hybrid war on his country. “In fact, they (in Brussels) undoubtedly follow, and sometimes push forward, an anti-Russian trend of foreign hegemony in all aspects.” Therefore, there cannot be “business as usual” with such opponents.

In addition, Russia has enough friends and like-minded people in other parts of the world. However, Lavrov also made it clear that Russia is ready to restore relations with the EU when the “Russophobic madness” ends, moderation begins and governments reflect on mutually beneficial partnerships. Then there will be no problem from our side, he said. Lavrov saw Moscow’s relations with Washington in a “very sorry state”. Normal relations between the two nuclear powers would be desirable and beneficial. “However, Washington’s overtly hostile actions cannot continue as usual.” Therefore, the policy of “peaceful coexistence” from the Cold War era will be used in further projects of Moscow.

The Russian military invaded Ukraine on February 24, with instructions to “destroy and demilitarize” the country, as Moscow put it. The United States, the European Union and many Western countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia because of this war of aggression, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives so far. Ukraine also receives military support from the West in the form of arms and ammunition.