Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reflected on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, recalling how he first learned about the attacks while working at Russia’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.

In an interview with RBC TV in Moscow on September 11, 2026, marking 25 years since the attacks, Lavrov described his personal experience of that morning, Russia’s immediate response, assistance provided to the United States and the broader impact of the attacks on international relations.

Lavrov recalls watching the first plane crash into the World Trade Center

Lavrov said he was in his office at the Russian Mission to the UN when the attacks began. He explained that the office of the Permanent Representative to the UN was a soundproof room equipped with special perimeter equipment designed to prevent sound from escaping.

He said he had walked to work that morning and arrived at around 9 a.m.

According to Lavrov, documents, diplomatic cables and information from around the world would arrive at the UN overnight, particularly concerning issues being discussed by the Security Council. He would normally sit at his desk and turn on a television positioned to his right.

At the time, he said, CNN was the news channel he watched, although the television sound was muted.

Lavrov recalled seeing an aircraft fly into a skyscraper and explode on the television screen.

“I thought, ‘Why are they showing a horror movie at 9 a.m.?’” Lavrov recalled.

He initially returned to his work but said something continued to bother him. He then began watching the television more closely and realized that the footage was showing a real attack unfolding in New York.

Smoke and burning debris reached the Russian Mission

After realizing what was happening, Lavrov said Russian officials began working to determine what action should be taken.

The Russian Consul General in New York was also trying to establish whether any Russian citizens or other Russian nationals were inside the Twin Towers.

Lavrov noted that the World Trade Center was located at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, approximately five or six kilometers from the Russian Mission to the UN.

Despite the distance, he said the smell of smoke and burning debris reached the Russian Mission very quickly, within an hour or two of the attacks.

Lavrov says he was not afraid to walk outside

When asked whether he was afraid to go outside after the attacks, Lavrov said he was not.

He explained that he normally walked to and from work and continued doing so after September 11.

However, he said the atmosphere in New York had changed dramatically.

Lavrov recalled walking past the same small restaurants he had visited before the attacks, with the same tables still outside, but said the mood among people was completely different.

“People were looking around warily,” he recalled, describing how much the city had changed after the attacks.

Putin told Bush: “We stand with you”

Lavrov also recalled Russia’s immediate political response to the attacks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called then-US President George W. Bush and expressed Russia’s support for the United States.

Lavrov said Putin told Bush: “We stand with you.”

Following the attacks, the UN Security Council adopted a relevant resolution supporting international action against terrorism.

Russia provided assistance connected to Afghanistan

The interview also touched on assistance that Russia provided to the United States and the international coalition following the September 11 attacks.

Lavrov said that the NATO-Russia Council, which had already been established by that time, approved a comprehensive program concerning Afghanistan.

According to Lavrov, Russian helicopters were made available for use by the international coalition.

He also said Russia and the United States exchanged intelligence information as part of the response to the terrorist threat.

Lavrov argues that US policy changed after 9/11

Reflecting on the broader consequences of the attacks, Lavrov argued that international relations did not change for the better.

He said the United States used the international solidarity that followed September 11, as well as the UN resolution endorsing its military operation and the creation of an international coalition, not simply to fight terrorism but also to advance what he described as its own geopolitical agenda.

According to Lavrov, Washington subsequently sought to expand its global presence and influence.

He argued that this approach later became visible in other international conflicts and crises.

Lavrov cites Yugoslavia, Georgia and Ukraine

Lavrov pointed to several conflicts as examples of what he described as the continuation of this trend.

He referred first to Yugoslavia, calling the NATO intervention an “unprovoked act of aggression” and arguing that it resulted in the destruction of a state without justification.

He subsequently mentioned Georgia and Ukraine, which he said represented further manifestations of the same broader geopolitical trend.

Lavrov characterized these developments as an attempt by what he described as a “unipolar world order” to resist or hold on to historical processes that were already changing.

He suggested that the consequences of this period would continue for a long time and described it as an entire era in international relations.

Lavrov rejects 9/11 conspiracy theories

Asked to summarize what actually happened in New York on September 11, 2001, Lavrov addressed conspiracy theories surrounding the attacks.

He said he was not a supporter of conspiracy theories and acknowledged that he was aware of them.

Lavrov argued that, from a practical standpoint, the idea of a large-scale secret operation would require an enormous number of people to be involved.

He said he found it difficult to believe that such a large number of people could remain silent indefinitely, particularly given what he characterized as the tendency for information to leak in the United States.

Lavrov emphasizes continued communication with Americans

The Russian foreign minister also discussed the importance of maintaining communication despite major disagreements between Moscow and Washington.

Lavrov said Russia communicates with Americans and with anyone who reaches out to it, stressing that communication does not mean agreement on every issue.

He noted that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have repeatedly stated that they remain ready to listen to one another without preconditions.

Lavrov concluded that this willingness to communicate is fundamental to international politics and diplomacy.

“That is what politics and diplomacy are all about,” he said.

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Lavrov’s recollections offer a Russian perspective on the events of that day, Moscow’s initial response to Washington and the subsequent transformation of international relations.

His comments also reflect the continuing disagreement between Russia and the United States over how the post-9/11 era reshaped global security, military interventions and the balance of power in the international system.

Disclaimer

This article is based solely on remarks attributed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his September 11, 2026 interview with RBC TV. Statements regarding the September 11 attacks, US foreign policy, Russia’s role, and subsequent international conflicts reflect Lavrov’s views and claims. They should not necessarily be interpreted as independently verified facts or as the views of this publication. Readers are encouraged to consult multiple credible sources for additional context and verification.