Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has misled the public by attempting to equate Russia’s violent annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 with Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008. Lavrov accused the West and the UN of “double standards.”
During a meeting with NGO representatives, Lavrov claimed that the issues and crises are not due to the UN’s failure to address them but because the “UN Charter is not implemented or, when implemented, is done unilaterally,” according to RT Balkan.
Lavrov stated, “The West is violating the UN Charter in relation to both Kosovo and Crimea.”
He added, “The West picks and chooses from a menu. In one case, it upholds the principle of sovereignty, as seen in its refusal to recognize a completely transparent referendum in Crimea. In another case, it is guided by the principle of self-determination, as was the case with Kosovo. The West claimed this was the right of the people, as written in the UN Charter.”
