Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued a stark warning to the West on Saturday, telling the United Nations General Assembly that any attack by NATO or the European Union would be met with a "decisive response." His comments were delivered against a backdrop of the war on Ukraine continuing, Estonia's accusation that Russia sent fighter jets into its airspace, and Poland's promise to shoot down Russian drones over its territory. "If there are attempts to down any flying object, any object ... in our airspace," Lavrov said in his speech, Reuters reports, "then I think people will very much regret undertaking such an egregious violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty."
Lavrov argued that claims that his country plans to attack NATO or EU countries are false. "Russia has never had and does not have any such intentions," he said, per the AP. The point apparently was a response to recent statements from Western officials, including a comment by President Trump, endorsing the idea of shooting down Russian jets that violate NATO airspace. Lavrov expressed concern about public discussion in Western capitals suggesting a potential third world war. He said these remarks only make it harder to reach agreements that reflect the interests of the global community, accusing Western leaders of trying to impose their views on others.
Three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Lavrov brought up Trump's recent summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "In the approaches of the current US administration, we see a desire not only to contribute to ways to realistically resolve the Ukrainian crisis, but also a desire to develop pragmatic cooperation without adopting an ideological stance," he said.
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