Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Travels to New York

Russian media, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported that Sergei Lavrov, the head of the foreign ministry, will attend the UN Security Council meeting, where he will preside over debates on July 15 and 17.

This news is presented with the usual propaganda flair, implying that there is no international isolation, suggesting that everyone, even in New York, is interacting with Russia.

However, there is a significant nuance that indicates Russia’s pariah status among civilized countries due to its aggressive policies and war. The US and its allies make this clear, unambiguously.

This is another slap in the face, and a demonstrative one, which the official media will not report.

The essence of the slap is that Sergei Lavrov, due to his role in the aggression against Ukraine, is prohibited from leaving a 25-mile radius around the UN building in New York. American intelligence agencies will closely monitor this. If Lavrov leaves the 25-mile zone, he will simply be detained and expelled from the country. And this will happen despite existing diplomatic immunity.

Of course, no one mentions this in official statements. But just think about it—one of Russia’s leaders cannot simply travel around New York because he would be detained and deported. Lavrov is being shown his place in international politics.

Could such humiliation have been possible before February 24, 2022, when the Russian army started the war in Ukraine? The question is rhetorical.

Lavrov was welcomed everywhere, shaking hands with leading politicians of civilized countries. Now, it’s only surveillance and travel restrictions. Diplomatic immunity is the only thing protecting him from arrest.

By the way, Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) is in an even worse situation. Until Russia started the Special Military Operation, the patriarch traveled wherever he wanted, interacting with whomever he chose. But now, he is under sanctions and cannot travel anywhere, except perhaps to North Korea or somewhere in Africa. But he doesn’t want to go there. He would prefer to sail on a yacht along the Côte d’Azur, but that is no longer possible because no one will let him in, and worse, he could be arrested. Unlike Lavrov, Gundyaev does not have immunity.