By Tom Balmforth
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Russia’s top diplomat accused NATO and the European Union of using Ukraine to declare a “real war” against his country in a speech at the United Nations on Thursday that Britain dismissed as “false fantasy world distortions.”
He spoke at a G20 meeting of foreign ministers at the U.N. two days after U.S. President Donald Trump signalled a harsher stance on Moscow, praising Ukraine’s war effort and saying NATO allies should shoot down Russian jets that enter their airspace.
Tensions have mounted along Europe’s eastern flank where Estonia has accused Moscow of sending three fighter jets into its airspace, a week after NATO jets shot down Russian drones in Polish airspace.
“Another clear example is the crisis in Ukraine provoked by the West, through which NATO and the EU have … already declared a real war on my country and are directly involved in it,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Lavrov, foreign minister for more than two decades, has made similar remarks in the past, but their echo within the walls of the United Nations building — delivered in front of fellow G20 foreign ministers — underscored the gravity of the moment.
He made no reference to Trump’s comments earlier this week, instead repeating Russia’s position that it was the West’s actions that provoked the war in Ukraine, which began when Moscow’s forces launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
‘FALSE FANTASY WORLD DISTORTIONS’
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called out Lavrov as he made to leave when she began her speech and condemned Russia’s “unprovoked war of aggression” against Ukraine.
“No amount of false fantasy world distortions, misinformation and propaganda from the Russian representative about the causes of the war will convince anyone,” she said.
Russian forces occupy around 20% of Ukraine and the fighting rages in the east of the country more than 3-1/2 years since the full-scale invasion.
Europe’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called on world powers to exert international pressure on the Kremlin.
“There are no signs that Russia’s goal of subjugating Ukraine has changed,” she said.
Ukraine and Europe publicly welcomed Trump’s rhetorical U-turn on the war in Ukraine on Tuesday, in which he mocked the Russian military’s slow progress, saying he believed Kyiv could turn the tables on Russia and retake its occupied land.
But some European diplomats have cautioned Trump’s statements may indicate he is moving to leave Europe to carry the burden of supporting Ukraine.
Despite concerted lobbying by Europe and Ukraine, Trump has not imposed heavy new sanctions on Russia. Instead, he has imposed tariffs on products from India for buying Russian oil and discussed the possibility of similar action against China.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump’s tone remained largely unchanged on Russia. He voiced disappointment with President Vladimir Putin’s actions and said Moscow was doing poorly in the war in Ukraine.
Lavrov held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. He is due to address the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Howard Goller)
