On November 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed his opinion, accusing European countries of sabotage efforts to create peace. He also said that Europe is publicly preparing for a new major conflict against Russia.
These comments are part of an initial interview scheduled to be published in Italy's Corriere della Sera. However, according to the Russian news agency, the newspaper has refused to publish.
According to the top Russian diplomat, most European capitals are forming the backbone of an " Coalition" that he believes wants one thing only: Continuing military actions in Ukraine as long as possible.
Mr. Lavrov affirmed that Europe is delaying the conflict resolution by refusing direct contact with Moscow. He said the lack of dialogue, combined with the continuous imposition of new sanctions, was evidence that Europe was not looking for a diplomatic solution. He noted that the sanctions are "affecting" and harming their own economies.
Notably, Mr. Lavrov commented that the US's European allies are trying to convince Washington to reject a fair and honest diplomatic solution. This argument is particularly noteworthy, as it was made in the context of the recent complicated diplomatic moves of the US President Donald Trump administration.
These include a successful summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30 and discussions on a potential meeting with President Putin despite the postponement.
The Russian Foreign Minister explained Europe's actions. He stressed that European leaders seem to have no other means to distract voters' attention. They are using the Ukrainian issue to cover up increasingly serious domestic socio-economic problems, such as high inflation, rising energy costs and public dissatisfaction with sanctions.
Mr. Lavrov also expressed his views on these countries using tax money from European people to finance Kiev and provide weapons for the conflict in Ukraine.
These comments follow a series of statements from Moscow in recent weeks, including warnings about NATO's expansion on October 28 and Russia's response to US nuclear testing moves on November 5.
