Russian FM accuses West of preparing for new European conflict

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday warned that Western countries are openly gearing up for a large-scale conflict in Europe.

During his speech at the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, Lavrov blamed Western nations for undermining arms control agreements and continuing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO’s) eastward expansion despite earlier promises to the contrary, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Lavrov said the conflict in Ukraine has destroyed the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, turning the European Union into an extension of NATO. He criticised proposals for a new European security system that deliberately exclude Russia and Belarus, citing France’s European Political Community as an example of exclusionary tactics.

Citing escalating m