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Western politicians deserve peace prize if they promote equality of countries — Lavrov

According to the top diplomat, "the US and all Westerners, whom the United States has subjugated, depriving the European Union of the last signs of at least some independence, understand democracy as their right to impose their understanding of democracy on everyone else"

MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he’s ready to nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize any of his counterparts who will show respect for the principle of sovereign equality of countries.

"The UN Charter mentions the main principle, which is more democratic than anything else. The UN is based on the sovereign equality of states. If someone finds respect for this principle in any actions of our Western colleagues, I am ready to nominate this person for the Nobel Peace Prize," he said in an interview with TV news anchor Dmitry Kiselev on Thursday.

"If you, a democrat, expressed a point of view, your opponent expressed his, well, let everyone else decide who they are for, what assessment, position sits well with them," Lavrov said, adding that this "should have happened in relation to the crisis in Ukraine."

"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin explained in detail the goals, reasons and inevitability of our special military operation," the minister continued. "Moreover, he did it not just suddenly, but after long eight years, even longer than that, starting from the Munich speech of 2007. For many years he explained to the West that they were steering in the wrong direction and undermining everything that they themselves committed to enforce, including the indivisibility of security in Europe."

According to Lavrov, "the US and all Westerners, whom the United States has subjugated, depriving the European Union of the last signs of at least some independence, understand democracy as their right to impose their understanding of democracy on everyone else."

"And as soon as you talk to them about the need for democratic approaches in resolving international issues, they don’t show any enthusiasm," the minister said.