Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that Moscow strongly opposes any role for NATO in Eurasian security, warning that recent messages from the alliance, he said, indicate preparations for military intervention in Ukraine.
Speaking after a meeting in Moscow with the leaders of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Lavrov said that NATO has declared its ambition to deal with the security of the entire Eurasian continent, which Russia does not accept, the Russian state agency Tass reports.
He accused NATO of trying to undermine the unity of ASEAN through the creation of closed cooperation formats, such as “quartet” and “trio”, and through the introduction of nuclear elements in military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region. He called such moves “alarming” and assessed that they require an open and honest discussion.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia supports the dialogue on strategic stability and that it prefers diplomatic solutions, but that Moscow will wait to see to what extent the United States of America is ready for such engagement. He added that Russia, together with China and the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS, insists on the principle of indivisible security.
The minister also said that the OSCE is aware of President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to establish the Greater Eurasian Partnership, which Moscow sees as the foundation of the future security architecture on the continent. According to him, the center of gravity of the military-political confrontation is increasingly moving towards Eurasia.
Lavrov particularly criticized the statements of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who, as he claims, signaled the Alliance’s readiness to intervene in Ukraine during a speech in the Ukrainian parliament. He recalled Rutte’s statements about the possible automatic actions of the so-called “coalition of the willing”, including the deployment of British and French forces on Ukrainian territory after a possible peace agreement with Russia.
As he repeated, Moscow has repeatedly warned that the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine is unacceptable and would represent a direct escalation of the conflict.
Speaking about the expiration of the New START agreement, Lavrov said that this created a “vacuum” in global arms control, but that Russia is ready for all scenarios. He pointed out that Moscow still prefers dialogue, but will assess Washington’s readiness for new negotiations.
New START, the last remaining treaty that limited the deployment of nuclear weapons, expired on February 5, while the US earlier said it was open to talks on a new, broader treaty.
