Russian MFA accuses Washington of militarising Asia-Pacific region

Russia condemns persistent attempts by Washington to indirectly fuel an arms race in the Asia-Pacific region, which also risks creating additional dividing lines in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has stated.

At a briefing on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), she said this not only creates risks of destabilising the established ASEAN-centric order and security architecture in this space, but also threatens to result in additional dividing lines, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

According to her, Russia sees how militarisation is taking place under the auspices, under the philosophy of NATO, in various regions of the world — in places where, in fact, there was no conflict potential.

“And where, on the contrary, this conflict potential had been offset for the future by cooperation that was actively developing,” she added.

She stressed that this cooperation was slowed down and put on hold precisely by the collective West.

At the same time, she emphasised that Washington, which is fueling this arms race, “was not invited there.”

“It is they who are offering their services to this region, without having any positive experience behind them,” she explained.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov