Lavrov: If Europe Attacks Russia, the War Will Be Completely Different

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that if Europe attacks Russia, the war that follows will be “completely different” and “very short.”

Speaking at the International Youth Festival in the city of Yekaterinburg, Lavrov said Russian officials had repeatedly stated that Moscow had no intention of attacking Europe and “had no interest in doing so.”

“Russia has repeatedly said that we will not attack Western countries and we have no interest in doing so. But if Europe, which regularly talks about preparing for war against Russia, attacks the Russian Federation, then this will be a completely different war and it will be very short,” he stressed.

Lavrov noted that confrontation was not Russia’s method, a position repeatedly stated by Russian leadership, including President Vladimir Putin personally.

“The West made a choice a very long time ago in favor of containing Russia,” he said, mentioning what he described as the “violent” expansion of NATO toward Russia’s borders.

The minister also criticized statements by European leaders about the need to prepare for a war with Russia, saying the issue had become a major theme among current European political leaders in Brussels.

Lavrov also warned that the deployment of Western military contingents in Ukraine would constitute a declaration of war against Russia.

He said Moscow was ready for talks on resolving the conflict in Ukraine and would await proposals to resume them, adding that Russia was not very optimistic about the prospects for progress.