In an interview with Russian radio about current affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained the tensions between Russia and the United States.
Noting that they received security proposals from the United States and NATO in a written response, Lavrov said there were rational elements related to secondary issues in these responses.
Recalling that Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a “moratorium” on the deployment of medium and short-range missiles in Europe and other parts of the world, Lavrov said:
This is included in the responses. We also had proposals for measures to conduct the exercises away from the borders of both sides, the distance of the convergence of warplanes and ships, and to reduce tensions and increase trust through conflict. All this has been rejected in the last 2-3 years. Now it’s being offered a consultation on all of this.
Lavrov said it is important for them to solve problems related to European security, stressing that security should not be strengthened at the expense of the security of other states.
“As Putin has stated, if our attempts to reach an agreement on mutually acceptable principles to ensure security in Europe fail, we will take the necessary measures. These measures can also be varied.”
“U.S. response is an example of diplomatic ethics”
Lavrov said that they analyzed the security responses from the United States and NATO. The response from NATO is very ideological and is full of NATO exclusability, special mission and objectives. I am ashamed for those who wrote these texts.”
Noting that negotiations between Russia and the United States and NATO on proposals for various security guarantees have not ended, Lavrov shared that a Russian-American meeting on this issue will take place in a few weeks.
“We don’t want war with Ukraine”
Discussing the possibility of war between Russia and Ukraine, Lavrov said, “If it is up to Russia, there will be no war. We don’t want war. However, we will not allow to roughly violate and ignore our interests.”
