NATO brings destruction and suffering, says Lavrov
NATO alliance is bringing more destruction and suffering, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.
The course towards a reckless enlargement of NATO has devalued the basic principles of OSCE's existence, and the enlargement was pursued quite consciously and deliberately Lavrov said. Stressing Russia tried to keep the EuroAtlantic situation under control to the last moment, Lavrov said that they are "building up their forces and assets, moving them towards Russia."
"16 countries were members of NATO in 1991, now there are 30, and Sweden and Finland are on the brink." Lavrov highlighted that President Vladimir Putin made a proposal last year on security guarantees both for Russia and Ukraine.
"We proposed non-expansion of NATO and security pact for Ukraine and everyone else."
"Washington and OSCE had a real chance for de-escalation," he said. "But OSCE structures are fully subordinated to the US and Brussels."
"They want to keep Russians out of Europe, they have the whole EU under their control," he stressed, adding there are maneuvers conducted to list Russia openly as an adversary.
"We were told every country has the right to join NATO." Lavrov accused NATO of whipping up tensions near China in a way that posed risks for Russia. "The South China Sea is now becoming one of those regions where NATO is not averse, as they once did in Ukraine, to escalating tensions," Lavrov told a news conference.
"We know how seriously China takes such provocations, not to mention Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, and we understand that NATO's playing with fire in these regions carries threats and risks for the Russian Federation. It is as close to our shores and to our seas as Chinese territory," he said.
Lavrov said that was why Russia was developing military cooperation with China and conducting joint exercises.
"The fact that NATO members under the leadership of the United States are trying to create an explosive situation there, in the wake of Europe, is well understood by everyone," he said.
Lavrov did not provide evidence to back his assertions, but alluded to the formation of the AUKUS alliance between the United States, Britain and Australia. He also accused NATO of trying to drag India into what he called an antiRussian and anti-Chinese alliance at a time when he said the West was attempting to squeeze out Russian influence. Lavrov also added that OSCE, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) has a huge backlog of problems.
The top Russian diplomat, slamming the West, said that it was counting on Russia not to regain its position either in Europe or in the world. "It expected the whole world to live by the rules of the liberal democracy."
Saying the West is trying to privatize and seize OSCE, Lavrov added: When Macron proposed the European Political community, he invited everyone except Russia and Belarus.
"OSCE is becoming a marginal entity," Lavrov said, adding Europe's security space is finally fragmenting.