NATO trying to drag India into alliance targeting Russia, China, claims Lavrov

Moscow, December 1

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused NATO of trying to drag India into what he called an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese alliance at a time when he said the West was attempting to squeeze out Russian influence.

Russia’s top diplomat, speaking on Thursday during his annual news conference in Moscow, also accused the United States and NATO of trying to ratchet up tensions in the South China Sea and of trying to subvert any regional bodies designed to promote dialogue, such as the OSCE in Europe and ASEAN in Asia.

He defended a Russian campaign that has used air, drone and missile strikes to destroy Ukrainian infrastructure. “We disable energy facilities that allow West to pump weapons into Ukraine,” he said. — Reuters

‘US directly involved in Ukraine war’

• Russia’s Lavrov accused NATO of whipping up tensions in South China Sea
• US played direct role in Ukraine war, turned Kyiv into existential threat, he added