The EU has no one to blame but itself for the abysmal state of its relations with Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview released on Tuesday.
Speaking to the Russian newspaper Argumenty i Fakty, Lavrov said that “the European Union has lost Russia.” Diplomatic relations entered a tailspin because the bloc stated openly that Russia should suffer a “strategic defeat” in the Ukraine conflict, according to the minister.
EU nations “pump up the criminal Kiev regime with weapons and ammunition, send instructors and mercenaries to Ukraine. For these reasons, we consider the EU to be an unfriendly union,” Lavrov explained.
He warned the bloc that Russia had “drawn the necessary conclusions” from the EU’s actions and would respond harshly to any hostile acts, being “guided by Russia’s national interests and the generally accepted diplomatic principle of reciprocity.”
At the same time, he signaled that if the EU were to reverse its anti-Russia policies and opt for “a mutually respectful dialogue” with Moscow, Russia would consider the bloc’s proposals and make decisions based on its national interests.
Given the standoff with the West, Lavrov said that the geography of his trips abroad had changed in a way that reflects Russia’s diplomatic priorities globally, which were outlined in Moscow’s recently updated foreign policy doctrine.
The document, which was signed by President Vladimir Putin last week, contains particularly strong language aimed at the US and its allies, accusing them of waging a “hybrid war” against Russia in a bid to weaken the nation “in every way possible.”
However, the doctrine also states that Russia can find friends and reliable partners all over the world. Moscow seeks to develop cooperation with regional actors in the Islamic world and Latin America while standing in solidarity with Africa in its desire to eliminate inequality caused by the “neo-colonial policies of some developed states,” the doctrine says.