Moscow Alert to NATO Statements on Preparing for War with Russia: Lavrov

Dragon Media News Desk

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was taking note of NATO statements about preparations for a possible war with Russia and remained alert. Speaking at a press conference after talks with visiting East Timor Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas, he said one goal of the special military operation was to prevent threats to Russia from its western neighbors.

Asked about reports of a “defensive” plan for NATO’s eastern flank, Lavrov said he was taking a philosophical view of them. “Today they say one thing, tomorrow another,” he said.

Lavrov said President Vladimir Putin had made clear what Russia’s response would be if the Kaliningrad Region or any other part of the country were attacked. Putin had answered a question on the matter at the Valdai forum, Lavrov said.

Lavrov blamed Western countries’ interference in the region’s affairs for instability in the Middle East. He said Russia was concerned that the developing situation around Iran was harming the global economy. He also expressed hope that diplomatic efforts by regional countries, including Egypt, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, would help keep tensions within political and diplomatic channels.

Lavrov said the United States and some European countries were seeking to establish closed bloc structures in the Asia-Pacific region. He said this ran counter to ASEAN’s approach, which is based on inclusiveness and consensus. Russia believes ASEAN members want to preserve their commitment to the principles on which the organization was founded, he said.

Lavrov described the failure to produce a final document on Afghanistan under the Moscow Format as unfortunate but not unexpected. He said he believed Afghanistan and Pakistan both wanted to normalize relations, and that Russia was helping them address existing and emerging problems.

Lavrov said there were prospects for expanding trade and economic cooperation with East Timor. Both sides had expressed a commitment to developing joint investment projects in energy, mining, fisheries and tourism, he said. Russian companies were ready to expand energy supplies to East Timor. Russia welcomed East Timor’s plan to open an embassy in Moscow and would provide assistance once it received a formal request, Lavrov added.