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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warns that the current crisis between Russia and the U.S. could be as dangerous as the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
The conflict between the two superpowers, known as the missile crisis, which occurred in October 1962, lasted 13 days and brought the world to the brink of World War III with nuclear weapons. However, Russian, U.S. and Cuban authorities reached an agreement to end the crisis.
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In an interview given to local television channel Pervy Kanal and broadcast on Monday, Lavrov compared the current tense situation between Russia and the West to what happened in 1962, saying that back at that time there was a channel of communication in which both sides had confidence but now there is neither such a channel nor any intention to create one.
In this regard, Lavrov said that at that time despite the absence of written rules, the standards of conduct were sufficiently clear. "Moscow understood how Washington behaved. Washington understood how Moscow behaved", the minister said, noting that few rules remain today.
The Russian foreign minister also said that during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, Moscow suggested reaffirming the statement of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former U.S. President Ronald Reagan that there would be no winners in a nuclear war and that a conflict should never be triggered using such weapons. This has had no result so far, Lavrov said.
FM #Lavrov: When #US pushes everyone in the anti-#Russia camp, when ���� goes to ����,����,����,����, countries with 1000s years history of civilization & culture, when US is not even ashamed to publicly tell you what to do, something is wrong not only with manners but also with mentality.
— Gilberto Sánchez (.·. G .·.) (@gilbertosangon) April 24, 2022
The top official also referred to the U.S. withdrawal from agreements such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and added that Washington rejects Moscow's proposals to initiate a mutual moratorium.
Lavrov said that Russia-U.S. already strained relationship has also been worsened since February 24 with Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin has said on several occasions aimed at demilitarizing and denazifying the country.
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