Lavrov Says War Warnings Could Become EU’s ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that European calls to prepare for a possible war with Russia could become a “self-fulfilling prophecy,” while simultaneously dismissing warnings of a Russian attack on Europe as “nonsense.” Lavrov made the remarks at his final press conference at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sunday, Sept. 27, citing Kremlin-aligned media.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “We are not going to fight Europe, that is nonsense and absurd. But it is Europe that is preparing for war with us… This position could turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, because they are now investing enormous amounts of money in arms production,” Lavrov said. He warned that, should Europe attack, Russia would “not hesitate to respond,” citing the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s previous claims that such a war would end quickly. Familiar denials Lavrov’s assurances echo statements the Kremlin made before previous acts of aggression. Putin and Russian diplomats repeatedly denied plans to attack Ukraine before Russia’s invasion in 2014 and in the days leading up to the full-scale invasion in February 2022. During his speech at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Sept. 23, Lavrov used “special operation” as a term for the war in Ukraine that is now in its fifth year, while also saying Ukraine would have kept its 1991 borders if the European nations had not “engaged in their shenanigans.” Other Topics of Interest What Germany’s Wingcopter 262 Means for Ukraine’s Drone War A new joint venture between a German startup and a major Ukrainian drone manufacturer is paving the way in Ukraine’s defense-tech boom. Putin made similar claims on Friday, Sept. 25, telling journalists that Russia was “not preparing for any military action against Europe,” while, in the same remarks, he accused the Baltic states of violating the rights of Russian speakers. “We already know how to respond, and we have developed a certain approach to this,” Putin said according to EU Perspectives. “We respond on humanitarian grounds and within the framework of international law.” However, Putin gave no examples of the alleged violations and did not say what that response would look like. But, the Kremlin has long used claims of protecting Russian-speaking populations to lay the groundwork for hostile actions against its neighbors. The same thing happened in Ukraine. Although frequently used to minimize its aggression, Russia’s rhetoric consistently reflects its long-standing hostility toward the West. Putin also mocked security concerns in Estonia as “political clowning.” Two weeks earlier, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev threatened to wipe Lithuania “off the map” if nuclear weapons were deployed there, claiming NATO allies would not dare invoke Article 5 on collective defense. Hybrid ‘incidents’ or direct attacks? Europe’s defense build-up comes as a response to Russian hybrid attacks, which have, over the past few months, nearly doubled and visibly intensified. Russia’s campaign of drone incursions, sabotage and cyberattacks against EU infrastructure has increased to the point that several EU member states now describe it as direct attacks. Lithuania has recently strengthened defenses around critical infrastructure, while the US confirmed a new troop rotation to the country this week. After weeks of escalation between Moscow and Berlin, the German and Russian foreign ministers met for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Late August, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow unexpectedly – for the first time during his post as a chief – to allegedly deter the Kremlin from attacking a NATO country. During the same summit in New York, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia might target another European country with drones, missiles or even a ground operation in an effort to fracture Western unity and distract from its heavy losses on the battlefield. Diplomacy stalls Lavrov’s comments came as Kyiv and Washington stepped up efforts to end the war, urging the Kremlin to join the table for trilateral talks. On Wednesday, 51 countries signed a joint statement, urging Moscow to agree to a full ceasefire and enter meaningful negotiations. On Friday, Putin again pinned the blame on Kyiv for stalled diplomacy. Zelensky rejected the framing just a day after, saying that Putin always finds an excuse not to meet or attend a trilateral discussion. Ukrainian authorities consistently push for a direct meeting with and negotiations with Russian diplomats. So far, the Kremlin has rebuffed every proposal – even Zelensky’s public letter to Putin in June, in which he proposed a face-to-face meeting and said he was ready for a full ceasefire. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.