“We will answer concretely and correctly”: Lavrov on the accusations of the Russian Federation in cyber attacks, the Syrian crisis and the church schism in Ukraine

Sergey Lavrov gave a great interview to the representatives of the three French-speaking media - the head of RT France Xenia Fyodorova, the assistant director of Le Figaro Yves Treuer and the deputy director of Paris Match Régate Le Sommier.

Fedorova asked about the charges of Moscow in allegedly taking place cyber attacks on various departments of Western countries, including the headquarters of the OPCW and the Anti-Doping Agency. Commenting on these accusations, Lavrov stressed that all the arguments about Russia's involvement in such incidents are brought to the attention of the Russian side not through official diplomatic channels, but exclusively through the media.

“With all due respect to the media, to the profession of a journalist, we, as serious people, cannot consider the specific problems that are thrown into the accusations of the Russian Federation in all mortal sins without engaging those legal norms that were specifically created for such cases”, noted the minister.

Lavrov stressed that information about the response of Russia will also come through the media, but this will be done “specifically and correctly”. The minister added that Moscow is ready to conduct a dialogue if its Western colleagues are ready for it.

“If this is all just superficial and this, so to speak, an attack of political rabies will naturally pass when they speak out in full, then we are always waiting for them in the legal field for a serious professional, non-propaganda conversation,” he concluded.

Autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church

Another problem that the journalists touched upon in a conversation with the minister was the situation around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew intends to grant independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. So, he recently removed the anathema from the heads of two unrecognized churches - Patriarch Filaret of the UOC of the Kiev Patriarchate and Metropolitan Macarius of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church.

According to Lavrov, thus Bartholomew goes on provocation, then to use both unrecognized churches.

"This provocation was conceived in order to use two non-canonical churches in Ukraine, splitting churches - the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church - which were never recognized by any Orthodox Church, but which in the interests of this provocation Patriarch Bartholomew called together the other day The Holy Synod in Constantinople, recognized as canonical and removed the anathema from the two hierarchs who head these schismatic churches, ”said the minister, answering a question from Le Figaro spokesman Yves and Treara.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Washington, which accuses Moscow of interfering in the internal affairs of the United States, itself has an impact on the situation in Ukraine.

“When Mr. Volker, who is called on behalf of the United States to engage in facilitating a Ukrainian settlement on the basis of the Minsk agreements, declares what he says about these processes, then, of course, as we say, the cap burns on the thief,” he concluded.

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Syrian settlement

Regis Le Sommier inquired of Lavrov what progress had been made towards de-escalating the situation in Idlib - the last major outpost of the IG * in Syria.

Answering this question, the head of the foreign ministry stressed that in addition to Idlib there are other problem regions in the SAR, where Damascus is not yet in control of the situation.

“In Syria there are huge lands to the east of the Euphrates, where absolutely unacceptable things happen. The United States is trying to use these lands through its Syrian allies - primarily through the Kurds - in order to create a quasi-state there, ”said Lavrov.

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The minister noted that Washington in these territories is doing “everything in order to create conditions for the normal life of their wards, they are creating alternative authorities to the legitimate ones”. According to Lavrov, the United States is thus seeking to prevent a settlement in order to realize its own goals with less effort in the current situation.

“The United States in this area, as a rule, is trying to maintain the situation in a heated state so that no one can calm down. And in such muddy water, it is much easier for them to fish that they want. It has never been good for good, ”he concluded.

The full interview of Sergey Lavrov to RT France TV channel, Le Figaro and Paris Match publications will be published on October 18.

* "Islamic State" (IG, ISIL) - the organization is recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated December 29, 2014.