‘Tell Your Boss: Enough Is Enough,’ Polish FM Confronts Lavrov at UN

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski confronted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, rejecting Kremlin claims about Ukraine. Sikorski dismantled Lavrov’s claims one by one – from Moscow’s portrayal of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution to the status of the Russian language – before delivering a blunt message to the Kremlin over its war against Ukraine.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. ‘There Was No Coup’ Sikorski began by answering Lavrov directly after the Russian foreign minister invoked him by name and described the events that removed former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 as a “bloody coup.” “Mr. President, please allow me a few extra sentences because I was called out by name by the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, and I feel I need to answer. “First of all, he calls the events of 2014 in Kyiv in Ukraine a bloody coup. I was indeed there with the foreign ministers of Germany and France, and there was no coup. “The President of Ukraine, Mr. Yanukovych, was voted out of office by a democratically elected parliament of Ukraine, including by his own Party of Regions. “Because he carried out a massacre in which 100 or more Ukrainian civilians were killed.” ‘Russian language is widely spoken’ Sikorski next rejected Lavrov’s claim that the Russian language is banned in Ukraine. “Mr. Lavrov also claims, and I quote from the transcript, that in the territory of Ukraine, there is a total ban on the Russian language in all spheres. Other Topics of Interest Lavrov Tells UN Security Council Russia Won’t Pause the War During Negotiations Ukraine’s FM Andrii Sybiha called for Russia’s removal from the Security Council and urged members to demand humanitarian corridors for occupied Oleshky. “I was in Kyiv 10 days ago under Russian bombs, and I can assure him that the Russian language is widely spoken there. ‘Russia’s leadership is panicking’ Sikorski said Moscow’s escalation reflected mounting pressure on the Kremlin after more than four years of its full-scale invasion rather than Russian strength. “Russia is escalating because Russia’s leadership is panicking. “After more than four years of a senseless colonial war, Vladimir Putin has achieved nothing. “He is running out of troops and resources and needs a pretext to mobilize. “His unnecessary war has killed or wounded one and a half million Russians. “Millions of Ukrainians and other Europeans are increasingly in danger. Russian threat reaches beyond Ukraine Sikorski warned that the danger was spreading beyond Ukraine, pointing to strikes near NATO borders, airspace violations and Russian-linked sabotage and covert operations across Europe. “Russia is now bringing the same tactics into Europe. “On September 13, a Russian jet-powered drone hit a Ukrainian train barely two kilometers from the border crossing with Poland. “Another followed on the 17th. “Drones and missiles have also attacked border crossings with Moldova and Romania. “Russia planted an armed drone at Leipzig Airport in Germany. “Russian drones and aircraft have violated the airspace of, among others, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway and Finland. “Russian hit squads have killed people in Spain, Britain, Poland and Germany.” ‘Now They Are Reaching Across the Atlantic’ Sikorski then pointed to a US criminal case involving a Russian intelligence network, warning that Moscow’s covert operations were reaching beyond Europe. “On September 15, US Attorney’s Office here in the Southern District of New York charged members of a Russian intelligence network with, quote, ‘conspiring to finance terrorism and commit murder for hire in the United States.’ End quote. “Cyberattacks, sabotage, clandestine operations and military pressure. “These are not isolated incidents. It’s a pattern.” ‘You cannot Win’ Sikorski then addressed Russia’s representatives directly, contrasting Moscow’s failure to conquer Ukraine with the vastly greater economic weight of the countries standing behind Kyiv. “To the representatives of the Russian Federation, I have this to say: “You have been trying to conquer Donbas for over 12 years, and Kyiv for over four. “You have been stopped by heroic Ukraine, a country with one-tenth of Russia’s GDP. “But Poland has almost half of your GDP. “Europe has 10 times your GDP. “NATO has 25 times your GDP. “You can still kill a lot of people, but you cannot win.” ‘Tell Your Boss’ Sikorski closed with a direct message to Lavrov, telling him to carry the warning straight to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “You can stop this imperial war of choice at any time. “Don’t endanger Europe and the world any further. Stop destroying Russia’s future. “Sergey, I know you’re listening. Tell your boss: Enough is enough.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.