Striking response from Lavrov to the question 'Who is financing HTS?' He listed the countries one by one...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave an interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson in Moscow.

Making statements on many issues ranging from US-Russia relations to the current situation in Syria, Lavrov noted that he would meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Doha.

The Russian minister emphasized that the situation in Syria is quite complex, stating, "This is a complex game. Many actors are involved. I hope that the meeting we have planned for this week will help stabilize the situation (in Syria)."

"We will discuss the need to return to the strict implementation of the agreements in the Idlib region. Because the Idlib de-escalation zone was where the terrorists launched their move to capture Aleppo," said Lavrov, noting that they would also address these issues during the meeting.

Recalling that regular meetings are held as Russia, Turkey, and Iran within the framework of the Astana Process, Lavrov stated that they are planning a meeting for the end of this year or early 2025.

Lavrov did not give a direct answer to a question about Bashar al-Assad, instead making comments implying that they are focused on how to handle the current situation in Syria.

STRIKING RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION "WHO IS FINANCING HTS?"

Responding to a question about who is financing or directing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Lavrov said, "We have some information on this. According to publicly available information, the Americans, the British, and some others are supporting these groups. Some people say that Israel is trying to make the situation even worse so that attention will be diverted from Gaza."

"I CANNOT SAY THAT THE US AND RUSSIA ARE AT WAR"

In response to the question, "Do you think the US and Russia are at war with each other?" Lavrov replied, "I wouldn't say that. In any case, this is not something we want. We would like to have normal relations with a great country like the US. We see no reason why Russia and the US cannot cooperate."

Answering a question about the US financing Ukraine to fight, Lavrov commented, "The Ukrainians could not have done what they did with long-range weapons without the direct support of American soldiers. This is undoubtedly a dangerous situation. We do not want to make this situation any worse."

Stating that they are prepared for any possibility as Russia, Lavrov said, "However, we would prefer a peaceful solution through negotiations based on respect for Russia's legitimate security interests."

HE COMPARED THE DEATH TOLL IN THE UKRAINE WAR WITH GAZA

The Russian Foreign Minister recalled that Ukraine has not made a clear statement regarding how many people have lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war, but that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once said this number was less than 80 thousand.

According to this calculation, Lavrov said that approximately 45 thousand people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza in the last year, while about twice that number have lost their lives in the Ukraine war over 10 years (since 2014).

On the other hand, Lavrov recalled that in April 2022, Ukraine presented them with a draft peace agreement at the meeting in Istanbul and that they were ready to accept this draft.

Lavrov argued that the then-Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, prevented the agreement as the head of the delegation, implying that the US might also have been behind this process.

Saying of Johnson, "He is not a very predictable person," Lavrov responded to the question, "Well, was he doing this on behalf of the US government or was he acting independently?" by saying, "I don't know, and I don't want to guess. But it is a fact that in this 'so-called' situation, it is clear that the Americans and the British were in the lead."

Lavrov also claimed that US President Joe Biden would want to leave as much of a burden as possible for President-elect Donald Trump.

When reminded of US President-elect Trump's promise to end the Ukraine war and asked under what conditions this would be possible, Lavrov replied, "President Putin touched upon this in a speech on June 14. He reiterated that we are ready for negotiations based on the principles accepted in Istanbul."

Emphasizing that Ukraine must have a non-military status and that NATO cannot be a part of this process in any way, Lavrov recalled that these conditions were not accepted by Johnson at that time.

Touching on Trump in one part of the interview, Lavrov said, "I have met with him a few times. I think he is a very strong person, result-oriented, and someone who does not like to procrastinate on any issue. That is my impression; he has a friendly attitude in negotiations. But that does not mean he is pro-Russian."

Reminding that Russia was subjected to very serious sanctions during the Trump era, Lavrov expressed that they are ready to work with the Trump administration as well.

DANGER OF NUCLEAR WAR

Responding to a question about the danger of a possible nuclear war between the US and Russia, Lavrov argued that some statements by American and Western officials on this subject are "dangerous."

Lavrov stated that some US officials, in their statements regarding nuclear weapons, talk as if "If a situation arises, Europe will be affected by it," in other words, arguing that the US would not be affected by it.

When asked, "Are you saying that the US would also be affected in such a possibility?" the Russian minister replied, "Yes, that is what I am saying."

Stating that they do not want a nuclear war, Lavrov referred to Putin's statements that a compromise could be reached on this issue in light of negotiations.

News Source: AA