Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, has warned that a war with Europe would be "very short." These remarks come amid rising tensions between Moscow and Western countries.
Russia's Reluctance for War
Lavrov emphasized that Russia has "no interest" in attacking Western countries. In comments made at the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg, he stated: "Russia has repeatedly declared that we have no intention of attacking Western countries and do not wish to do so." He added: "However, if Europe, which regularly talks about its readiness for war with Russia, attacks the Russian Federation, it would be a completely different war and would be very short."
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Criticism of NATO Expansion
Lavrov pointed to the West's choice to contain Russia and cited the "forced" expansion of NATO towards Russia's borders as a reason for the attack on Ukraine. The experienced minister, who has held this position since 2004, referred to recent comments by Radosław Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister, who stated that NATO could "quickly" defeat Russia. Sikorski also emphasized Poland's air superiority, saying: "If Russia attacks us and we take action, I think we can defeat Russia quickly. We have a decisive advantage over Russia in air power."
Proposal for a European Security Council
On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, proposed the establishment of a European Security Council to address hybrid attacks. She stated that this group could bring together the European Union and its partners, including Canada, the UK, and Norway, to create an "emergency security protocol." Von der Leyen added: "Europe needs a handbook for dealing with hybrid attacks." In her speech to the European Parliament, she referred to hybrid attacks, including sabotage efforts.
Military Tensions
On Tuesday, Denmark announced that a Russian warship had fired on a military helicopter without warning, while Moscow responded that Danish aircraft were conducting dangerous maneuvers and flying close to its fleet. Last month, John Radcliffe, the CIA Director, made a rare visit to Moscow, which was his first trip since his predecessors visited before the attack on Ukraine. Sources familiar with the matter told the media that Radcliffe made this trip to warn Russia about attacking NATO.
The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Dmitry Peskov, called the claims regarding Radcliffe's visit "scary stories" and added that these claims have "no connection to reality." He stated that Moscow is "facing a very aggressive policy from European countries."
Last year, Vladimir Putin heightened concerns by saying he was "ready for war" with Europe, referring to European countries as "little pigs." He later corrected these remarks, stating that they were taken out of context. Earlier this month, he also issued a concerning warning to the UK regarding its support for Ukraine, saying: "This is a secret, a military secret."
He added: "Any military facility in Ukraine is a legitimate target for us, whether British or otherwise."
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Source: independent.co.uk
