Lavrov says Euro-Atlantic community is preparing for war

According to RT, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the international structures led by the Euro-Atlantic community have failed to bring stability and security to the region, and now members of this bloc are preparing for a new major war.

Speaking at a question-and-answer session at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Türkiye on April 12, Lavrov criticized what he called “Euro-Atlantic structures,” including the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), saying that these organizations have failed to achieve the goals they once committed to.

“The post-World War II security issues in our common region were shaped by Euro-Atlantic logic. NATO and the EU are essentially European structures,” Lavrov said.

“The EU has recently signed an agreement with NATO. The EU is now part of the Euro-Atlantic policy – ​​there is no doubt about that – including the readiness to offer its territory for the alliance’s plans to expand east, south or elsewhere,” he added, apparently referring to the EU-NATO Joint Declaration on Cooperation signed in early 2023.

“I think all these Euro-Atlantic structures have failed. They have failed to strengthen security and stability,” Lavrov said.

According to Mr. Lavrov, these structures have contributed to the increase of international tensions and the "remilitarization of Europe". "The entire efforts of the Euro-Atlantic community are focused on preparing for a new war. Germany, together with France and Great Britain, are leading this process," he stressed.

Lavrov’s remarks came after a meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” – a group of pro-Ukrainian countries, mainly NATO and EU member states – earlier this week. The group’s defence ministers discussed the possibility of deploying a “peacekeeping” force to Ukraine, led by Britain and France.

However, the meeting did not achieve any concrete results, as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms. Kaja Kallas, admitted that, “Member States have different views and the discussion is still ongoing.”

While British Defense Secretary John Healey insisted the group's plans were "well developed," many of his counterparts have publicly expressed doubts, particularly about the goals, missions and powers of the force that could be deployed.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against sending troops to Ukraine in any form, and has objected in particular to the presence of NATO troops there. Last month, former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said that if NATO “peacekeeping” forces appeared in Ukraine, it would mean war between the bloc and Russia.