Lavrov Denies Russia Plans to Attack Europe

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russia has no plans to attack Europe.

In an interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, Lavrov dismissed claims that Russia wants to expand the war beyond Ukraine and accused Western leaders of spreading fear to mask internal struggles.

“Perhaps those who make such statements know more about Russia’s plans than we do,” Lavrov said. “We know of no such plans to ‘invade Europe’.”

“They Are Trying to Create a Hostile Image of Russia”

Lavrov argued that NATO and EU leaders are using anti-Russian rhetoric to shift attention away from social and economic issues at home, such as inflation, unemployment, and immigration.

“They are constantly demonizing our country by manipulating the media space,” he said. “This mythical Russian threat is being used to distract from the inability to solve real problems.”

Lavrov also claimed that the European Union has rapidly shifted from being a cooperative alliance into a military extension of NATO, a development he described as “dangerous for all Europeans.”

Praise for Hungary, Criticism for NATO

Lavrov had notably warm words for Hungary, a country that has repeatedly opposed EU sanctions against Russia and maintained ties with the Kremlin despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

He invited closer cooperation with Hungary in protecting ethnic Hungarian minorities in Ukraine.

“Russia and Hungary are openly speaking out in defense of their compatriots. We can join forces in this regard,” he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has been increasingly at odds with NATO and EU policy on Russia.

Lavrov praised Hungary’s “pragmatic course” despite what he called “constant pressure from NATO and the EU.”

Terms for Ending the War in Ukraine

Lavrov used the interview to restate Russia’s position on what it would take to end the war in Ukraine.

He stated that Russia is not interested in a temporary ceasefire but in a “lasting peace,” which he said must be based on several conditions:

• Ukraine must remove its military weapons
• Ukraine must stop all actions that Russia calls “anti-Russian”
• All legal actions against Russia must be dropped
• Sanctions against Russia must be lifted
• Russia must get back any assets that were taken

Lavrov said Russia remains open to negotiations but insisted they must reflect what he called “the new realities on the ground.”