Lavrov says Europe is waging war against Russia
The remark comes as European countries weigh a joint, NATO-style response to sabotage and cyber attacks they blame on Moscow.
Published
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Europe is waging war against Russia, responding to Western accusations that Moscow is running a campaign of hybrid warfare across the continent.
European governments are discussing a coordinated response to sabotage, cyber attacks and other hybrid incidents they attribute to Russia, the Financial Times has reported. The Kremlin has linked its own orders to seize foreign assets to what it calls increased military action against Russia by unfriendly countries.
Tension has also risen over the Black Sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia struck two foreign-flagged ships near Odesa. Russia said it struck two ships bound for the port of Odesa on Monday, a claim Ukraine has not confirmed.
Lavrov's language is sharper than the tone Putin struck on Friday, when he said Russia was not preparing for hostilities with Europe. Diplomatic channels have not closed: the Kremlin has said any resumption of arms talks with Washington would need extensive negotiation but should go ahead.
The shift in tone lands alongside a tightening energy picture. Russia is extending its diesel export ban through October, according to TASS, and International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol has said Europe is highly vulnerable on diesel and that the agency is watching the market closely. Lavrov's framing adds no new fact, but it confirms Moscow is not softening its public posture toward Europe, and combined with the Black Sea strikes and Europe's tight winter fuel supply, it keeps the risk premium on European assets and energy elevated rather than easing it.