Sergey Lavrov

"We did not invade Ukraine. We declared a special military operation because we had absolutely no other way of explaining to the west that dragging Ukraine into Nato was a criminal act."

"Russia has an unblemished reputation and is not ashamed."

"The Russian people in Ukraine continued to be discriminated against across the board. Laws banning the Russian language were adopted and Nazi practices (theory and practice of Nazism) were established."

"I didn’t invite anyone to pose for a photo together with me."

"The geography is different. This is far from being only the DPR and LPR. It is also the Kherson region, the Zaporizhzhia region and a number of other territories, and this process continues, and continues consistently and persistently."

"We cannot allow the part of Ukraine that Zelenskyy, or whoever replaces him, will control to have weapons that will pose a direct threat to our territory and the territory of those republics that have declared their independence, those who want to determine their future on their own."

"If the West delivers long-range weapons to Kyiv, the geographic goals of the special operation in Ukraine will expand even more."

"We are determined to help the people of eastern Ukraine to liberate themselves from the burden of this absolutely unacceptable regime."

"We will certainly help the Ukrainian people to get rid of the regime, which is absolutely anti-people and anti-historical."

"This war is being controlled by the Anglo-Saxons."

"When we speak about what is happening in Ukraine - it is a war, not a hybrid one, almost a real war, that the West has been plotting for a long time against Russia."

"The political goal of the United States is directed against the friendship of Moscow and Kyiv."

"Zelenskyy smokes or injects himself or snorts so much stuff that it is impossible to comment on his words."

"The war, which we are trying to stop, which was launched against us using Ukrainian people, of course, influenced the policy of Russia, including energy policy."

"Minister Lavrov said that clearly said we cannot sit with the American to define what Syrian wants to do, this is Syrian's issue, only the Syrian people can define the future of their country and how to solve their problems."

"Unfortunately, it is a classical step, when an occupant state is trying to make legitimate its unlawful decision. It is an attempt, which will remain unsuccessful."

"On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that any U.S. presence in a CSTO country would need the approval of the alliance, which the Kremlin will veto. One might suggest that there is mistrust about the reliability of Joe Biden and company as a strategic partner, even though there is widespread concern that Afghanistan might become a rogue state. Nevertheless, Washington’s bullying in Iraq, Syria and also against Iran has failed to convince anyone that the U.S. Air Force would make a good neighbor...."

"In 18 years, he went from a professional and educated intellectual, whom many my colleagues held in such high esteem [sic], to a person who constantly … threatens the world (that is, Russia too) with nuclear weapons!"