Lavrov warns war with Europe would be “very short”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow does not intend to attack Western countries but warned that any European attack on Russia would result in what he described as a fundamentally different and short conflict.

Speaking at the International Youth Festival, Lavrov said Russia had repeatedly made clear that it had no interest in attacking Western countries.

“But if Europe, which speaks every day about preparing for war against Russia, attacks the Russian Federation, then it would be a completely different war, and it would be very short,” Lavrov said.

He also said confrontation was not Russia’s preferred method, referring to repeated statements by the Russian leadership and President Vladimir Putin.

“The West made its choice long ago in favour of containing Russia; we have said this more than once,” Lavrov said, citing what he described as “the forceful, aggressive expansion of the NATO bloc toward Russia’s borders.”

Lavrov said Russian officials were now hearing statements from European Union leadership about the need to prepare for a war with Russia.

“And now we hear statements from the leadership of the European Union about the need to prepare for war with our country; this is the most popular topic in speeches by the current European elites and leadership based in Brussels,” he said.

Lavrov reiterated that Russia does not plan to attack Europe and has no interest in doing so, while warning of the consequences should European countries launch an attack on Russia.

“We have repeatedly said that we do not intend to attack Europe, <...> we have no interest in doing so. But if Europe, which speaks every day about preparing for war against Russia, attacks the Russian Federation, then it would be a completely different war, and it would be very short,” he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova