The European Union (EU) is not ready for constructive negotiations on the Ukraine conflict and is publicly preparing for a war with Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared.
In an interview with local media on December 28, Mr. Lavrov criticized the EU for continuing to support Ukraine, saying that "nearly all European countries, except for a few exceptions, have pumped money and weapons into Kiev" even when Russia is still taking the initiative.
According to Mr. Lavrov, the EU still has hope that the Russian economy will collapse under sanctions pressure.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the EU's hostile attitude towards Russia originated in 2014 - the time the Ukraine crisis broke out - when Brussels "began to spread the so-called threat from Russia and incite anti-Russian sentiment as well as the trend of militarism" in European public opinion.
Mr. Lavrov said that the European Conservative Party has taken full advantage of its "political capital" for the goal of causing a strategic failure for Russia and is "ready to go to the end".
The Russian Foreign Minister also mentioned Western media speculation that Russia could attack NATO in the next few years. "There is no need to be afraid of Russia attacking anyone. However, if anyone thinks about attacking Russia, they will face a destructive retaliatory blow," the foreign minister emphasized.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly stated this many times" - Foreign Minister Lavrov added.
Mr. Lavrov's statements were made in the context of the EU seeking to influence discussions on resolving the Ukraine conflict, when European officials affirmed that any agreement that requires Ukraine to make significant concessions on territory or security is unacceptable.
Meanwhile, Moscow believes that the EU's participation in the peace process "does not signal anything positive" for the end of the fighting. Russia also condemned the EU's efforts to militarize the bloc's economy in the name of containing Russia.
