MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow doesn’t want a broader conflict in Europe and that the West wishes to see Russia defeated on the international stage.
“If you are concerned about the prospect of war in Europe, we absolutely don’t want that, but I draw your attention to the fact that it is the West that insists Russia must be defeated in this situation. Draw your own conclusions,” Mr. Lavrov said Wednesday at a news conference after talks with his Omani counterpart in Muscat.
Mr. Lavrov’s remarks come after U.S. officials said the Biden administration’s aim was to see Russia’s military capabilities degraded and Ukraine’s strengthened, to prevent Moscow from attempting to conquer territory by force in the future. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Mr. Lavrov also said Wednesday that by imposing sanctions on Moscow, the West was effectively pursuing an aggressive policy toward the global economy since bans and restrictions “destroyed the convenient, comfortable transport and logistics chains that had existed for many years.”
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been careful not to cross any lines that could provoke a conflict with Russia, notably its refusal to answer Ukraine’s call to enforce a no-fly zone over the country. –Agencies
