Russia’s top diplomat has assured world leaders that his nation has no intention of attacking Europe. However, he warned that any aggression against Russia would be met with a decisive response.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made these remarks amid rising concerns in Europe over unauthorized flights into NATO airspace. These incidents have been attributed to Russia, especially following NATO jets downing drones over Poland and Estonia’s claims that Russian fighter jets entered its territory.
Russia has denied these accusations, stating that its planes did not enter Estonian airspace and that the drones were not targeting Poland. Moscow’s ally Belarus suggested that Ukrainian signal-jamming caused the drones to go off course.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia perceives itself as the party facing threats. “Russia has never had and does not have any such intentions of attacking European or NATO countries,” he said. “However, any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response.”
These statements come three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an action widely condemned by the international community.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism this week that Ukraine can reclaim all the territories lost to Russia. This marks a notable shift in tone from a leader who had previously suggested Ukraine might need to make concessions and would be unlikely to regain all areas occupied by Russia since 2014, when Moscow seized the Crimean Peninsula, and after launching a full-scale invasion in 2022.
Just three weeks prior, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia and the US had reached a mutual understanding, praising the previous Trump administration for “listening to us.”
Trump’s new stance followed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. This meeting, occurring seven months after a heated televised exchange between the two in the Oval Office, was conducted behind closed doors and reportedly had a much more positive tone. Zelensky described it as “a good meeting” during his address to the assembly the following day.
For the fourth consecutive year, President Zelensky appealed to the gathering of world leaders, urging them to expel Russia from Ukraine. He warned that failure to act could endanger other countries, stating, “Ukraine is only the first.”
Russia has offered various justifications for its war in Ukraine, including concerns over its own security following NATO’s eastward expansion over the years.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/aggression-against-russia-will-be-met-with-decisive-response-minister-says-1811920.html