Russia’s foreign minister has accused NATO and the European Union of using Ukraine to wage a “real war” against Russia, Reuters reports.
Lavrov’s address to the G20 foreign ministers came two days after US President Donald Trump signalled a tougher stance against Moscow, praised Ukraine’s efforts and said NATO members should shoot down Russian drones that enter their airspace.
A week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, three of which were shot down, Estonia reported three fighter jets that had entered its airspace without authorization. The two countries called the NATO meeting under Article 4 of the alliance. Lavrov called it another clear proof that “the crisis in Ukraine was provoked by the West, and with it NATO and the EU have already declared a real war against my country and are directly involved in it.”
Lavrov, who has been Russia’s foreign minister for more than 20 years, has made similar statements before, but this has never happened at such important moments. The Russian diplomat did not address Trump’s statements, instead emphasizing the position that
the West is to blame for the war in Ukraine, and it was only because of them that Russia launched a full-scale invasion
in February 2022.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called out Lavrov as the minister tried to leave the room as her speech began, and condemned Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The minister said that no amount of fantasy-based statements, waves of disinformation or Russian propaganda will convince anyone.
Russian forces now control about 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory, with fighting mostly taking place in the east.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas called on the world’s most powerful politicians to increase international pressure on the Kremlin.
Both Ukraine and Europe have publicly praised Trump’s shift in stance on the war in Ukraine. But some European diplomats have warned that the shift in rhetoric could mean the full brunt of support will fall on Europe. Despite EU and Ukrainian efforts, Trump has not imposed tougher sanctions on Russia. Instead, he has raised import tariffs on India, saying it is a punishment for buying Russian oil, and has considered similar sanctions on China.
Read also: Zelensky ready to step down when war ends
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