Lavrov: West is 'existential threat', US driver of anti-Russia hate

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Mar 2023 17:22

The Russian Foreign Minister further explains that the Western policy used to try and weaken Russia is a "hybrid war of a new type."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends a joint news conference in Jordan on November 3, 2022 (Reuters)

During a meeting of Russia's security council on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained that President Vladimir Putin's newly-adopted foreign policy strategy designates the West as an "existential" threat to Russia.

"The existential nature of threats to the security and development of our country, driven by the actions of unfriendly states is recognized" in the policy, he said, adding, "The United States of America is directly named as the main instigator and driver of anti-Russian sentiment."

In reference to the unfriendly states, Russia added Hungary to its list of unfriendly countries after certain moves taken by the government in Budapest that Moscow deemed to have been hostile. Hungary has signed up to all of the European Union's anti-Russian sanctions, and it is forced to comply with them, Russian Ambassador to Hungary Evgeny Stanislavov said.

The Russian diplomat underlined that Budapest "adheres to a pragmatic position," which it "is not going to abandon yet even under the pressure of its allies in the European Union and NATO."

The Foreign Minister further explains that the Western policy used to try and weaken Russia is a "hybrid war of a new type."

With that being said, as a result of "radical changes" in the world, Putin characterized Russia's technique in engaging with the world as necessary after announcing the newly-published 42-page document referencing the strategy.

Putin, in a Russian media interview last Saturday, stressed that despite the West's multi-billion-dollar-worth campaigns supplying Ukraine with weapons to support their proxy war, the US and Europeans will not be able to outgun Russia.

Putin explained that the West has been attempting to "create a new Axis," similar to what Nazi Germany did before WWII, recalling what he had said in a previous interview about NATO agreeing to a new strategic concept bloc.