Lavrov warns of “rapid and aggressive” militarisation of Europe

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has issued a stark warning over what he described as the “rapid and aggressive” militarisation of Europe, framing it as one of the most pressing threats to regional and global stability.

Speaking during his visit to China, where he held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Lavrov said European elites increasingly view militarisation as a strategic objective, while the United States seeks to shift the burden of containing Russia onto its European allies, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“Moscow warns about the dangers of EU militarisation, but the key point is not that we are warning about it — rather, it is that militarisation is advancing very rapidly and aggressively,” the minister said. “It is no secret that current European elites see this militarisation as the very purpose of their existence. (…) They want Europe to bear all the consequences of what those who unleashed a war against Russia through the Ukrainian regime — which was unlawfully brought to power by the West 12 years ago — have done, so that these consequences no longer burden the American budget. This is being stated openly. (…) The fact that the United States wants to shift the main responsibility for containing Russia onto Europe in order to free its hands for, frankly speaking, the Chinese direction is not being concealed.”

His remarks came amid broader discussions with Beijing on global security, including the crisis in the Middle East, Ukraine, and energy stability. Lavrov reiterated that Russia and China maintain what he described as a stabilising partnership capable of withstanding geopolitical and economic turbulence.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, during his official visit to China, Lavrov discussed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi preparations for a visit by President Vladimir Putin, as well as a wide range of international issues, including the crisis in the Middle East. Russia and China expressed readiness to compensate for energy shortages in affected countries and to support humanitarian and educational initiatives.

“The Middle East and the Persian Gulf region, where the events of greatest concern to everyone are currently unfolding, represent an obvious crisis knot that will be very difficult to untangle. Attempts to simply cut through it are unlikely to yield results. Palestine — both Gaza and the West Bank — must not remain in the shadows or be pushed to the background. We clearly reaffirmed this today with the Chinese delegation. (…) Russia can, of course, make up for the resource shortages that have arisen not only in the People’s Republic of China but also in other countries interested in working with us on an equal and mutually beneficial basis,” the Russian foreign minister said following his visit to China.

The Russian side also highlighted threats it says stem from the United States and its allies. Sergey Lavrov stated that Washington and Europe are promoting the militarisation of the continent and the idea of creating a new military bloc involving Ukraine, seeking to shift responsibility for containing Russia onto Europe while focusing their efforts on China.

Moscow also insists on continuing negotiations between the United States and Iran, supporting any decisions made by Tehran regarding enriched uranium, and has expressed readiness to assist in resolving issues related to its safe storage and processing.

“Russia, as was the case during the agreement of the 2015 programme, is ready to play its role in resolving the issue of enriched uranium. This role can take various forms, including the processing of highly enriched uranium to fuel-grade levels or transferring a certain amount for storage in Russia — anything that would be acceptable to Iran without infringing upon its inalienable right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes,” the minister said.

He also noted that believing in the destruction of Iran is unrealistic:

“As in any other conflict, the root cause lies in this aggressive line. And behind it are two factors. For Israel, it is, of course, an absolutely unshakable belief that Iran must be destroyed. How one can believe in this — I do not know, I do not understand,” Sergey Lavrov said.

The minister stressed that Russia and China possess the necessary resources to remain independent from what he described as aggressive external ventures undermining global energy stability. At the same time, Moscow remains open to continuing dialogue with the United States, Cuba, and other partners, including the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf affected by external aggression.

Lavrov also underlined readiness for dialogue with Hungary, where the opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won the parliamentary elections.

“If the leader of the party that won the elections in Hungary, Mr Magyar, says that he will not call [Russian President Vladimir Putin], we see this as his personal right to act as he wishes. (…) We never shy away from dialogue,” he emphasised.

Lavrov concluded by highlighting the importance of respecting sovereignty, adhering to international law, and building strategic partnerships aimed at ensuring stability and economic development across various regions of the world.

By Vugar Khalilov