U.S. ‘directly at war’ with Russia, using Ukraine as ‘fodder,’ says Russian foreign minister

The U.S. and its European allies are “directly at war” with Moscow and are using Ukraine as “fodder” in that conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday as he argued that the U.S.-Russia proxy battle has given way to direct confrontation.

Speaking to reporters after his address at the United Nations, Mr. Lavrov took aim at the West’s material support for Ukraine in its war against the invading Russian army. That support, he said, constitutes aggression against Russia.

“You can call this whatever you want to call this, but they are directly at war with us. We can call this a hybrid war, but that doesn’t change the reality,” Mr. Lavrov said, according to English-language media reports of his remarks. “They are effectively engaged in hostilities with us, using the Ukrainians as fodder.”

The U.S. and NATO strongly dispute that characterization. The Biden administration has maintained the U.S. will not send troops to Ukraine or otherwise engage in direct warfare against the Russian side. Still, President Biden in his own address to the U.N. last week made clear that the U.S. will stand against Russia’s “naked aggression” against its neighbor.

“If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Mr. Biden said during his address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York. “I would respectfully suggest the answer is no. You have to stand up to this aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the annual U.N. meeting. Mr. Lavrov was the highest-ranking Russian official to formally address the gathering.

His comments about direct war between the U.S. and Russia will fuel concern that Moscow, faced with a Ukrainian counteroffensive that seems to be slowly gaining ground, could become more aggressive and perhaps could launch attacks against other targets outside of Ukraine.

Other Russian officials, such as former President Dmitry Medvedev, also have stoked those fears. Mr. Medvedev has suggested Moscow would use nuclear weapons rather than lose its war in Ukraine.

Mr. Lavrov also seemed to shoot down the chances of Russia rejoining a U.N.-backed deal that facilitated the transport of grain and other food supplies from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.