Washington, 6 December 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Russia will use everything it has at its disposal to ward off a defeat in the war against Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told controversial US journalist Tucker Carlson in an interview published on Thursday.

The United States and its allies, which are providing long-range weapons to "the regime in Kiev" must understand that Russia "would be ready to use any means not to allow them to succeed in what they call 'strategic defeat' of Russia," Lavrov told Carlson in English in an interview published on social media platforms incuding X and YouTube.

"They fight for keeping the hegemony over the world, in any country, any region, any continent. We fight for our legitimate security interests," Lavrov added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin started the war against Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of soldiers have been killed on both sides. Exact numbers are not known, as neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian army wants to openly admit their losses.

An end to the war is not in sight. It is also unclear how US President-elect Donald Trump will deal with the conflict once he takes office on January 20, though he has repeatedly indicated he would reduce US support for Ukraine.

Lavrov denied that Russia had started the war, saying Putin has "repeatedly said" that Russia started "the operation," as the war is referred to in Russia, to end what Lavrov called the "war" led by the "Kiev regime" against "its own people in the parts of Donbass." That area is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.

Photo: EPA