Moscow – Lavrov: Russia is monitoring NATO’s preparations for war

MOSCOW, Oct 7 /ATSH-AA/ – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia is closely monitoring NATO statements regarding preparations for a possible Russian attack, warning that Moscow remains vigilant.

“So, we hear what is being said, but, as the saying goes, we stay vigilant,” Lavrov said at a media conference in Moscow, after talks with the Foreign Minister of East Timor, Bendito Freitas.

Lavrov said Moscow is focused on fulfilling the objectives set by President Vladimir Putin for the war in Ukraine, including preventing threats from its western neighbours.

He also referred to recent tensions over Kaliningrad, adding that Putin has made it clear that any attack on the semi-exclave or any other part of Russia will receive a response.

“When we issued a very clear statement in response to threats from the Baltic countries and other NATO members, who have gone out of control, to attack the Kaliningrad region, we were immediately assured both by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and by the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, (Matthew) Whitaker, that the alliance has no plans to attack Russia and cannot do so, and that NATO is, after all, a defensive alliance,” he said.

Regarding Afghanistan, Lavrov said Russia regrets that participants in the recent Moscow Format consultations failed to adopt a final document because of tensions between Kabul and Pakistan.

He claimed the disagreement was partly linked to the presence of DEASH militants in both countries and called for an end to interference by countries outside the region.

“I have absolutely no doubt that both Afghanistan and Pakistan are interested in normalising relations. Russia is doing everything it can to facilitate the resolution of ongoing problems and those newly emerging,” he said.

– The Russia–East Timor talks

Lavrov described the talks with Freitas as “extremely productive” and said the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in the energy, mining, fishing and tourism sectors.

He said Russia was ready to increase energy supplies to the Southeast Asian country and expressed support for expanding cooperation in education and in the field of law enforcement.

The two ministers also discussed cooperation through ASEAN and developments in the Asia-Pacific region, while Lavrov criticised Western efforts to create exclusive bloc-based structures outside the ASEAN-centred framework.