Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says his country has no intention of attacking EU or NATO member states but warned of a decisive response to any aggression directed towards Moscow.
In a wide-ranging speech delivered at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov said threats against Russia by Western countries were becoming increasingly common.
He also took aim at Israel, stating that while Russia condemned the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas, there was no justification for the brutal killings of Palestinians in Gaza or plans to annex the West Bank. Israel has claimed its Gaza operation is necessary to defeat Hamas.
At least 65,926 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, while about 1,200 were killed and 251 taken hostage in the October 7 attacks.
Lavrov decried Israeli aggression towards other countries in the Middle East, threatening to blow up the region.
On Iran, Lavrov accused Western powers of sabotaging diplomacy after a last-minute bid led by Russia and China to delay sanctions being reimposed failed on Friday. The Russian foreign minister said the move was illegal and that the sanctions are set to come into force at 00:00 GMT on Sunday.
While addressing tensions in Europe, Lavrov stated, Threats of force against Russia, accused of practically planning an attack on the North Atlantic Alliance [NATO] and the European Union, are becoming increasingly common. President Putin has repeatedly debunked such provocations. Russia has never had and does not have such intentions, but any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response.
Moscow has denied responsibility after Denmark stated that drones were flown over its airports, suggesting the incidents appeared to be the work of a professional actor without evidence implicating Russia.
However, recent accusations from Estonia regarding violations of airspace by Russian warplanes and NATO's air defense mission over Poland highlight ongoing military tensions.
US President Donald Trump has suggested that NATO nations should shoot down Russian planes in airspace, while NATO has pledged to use all necessary military and non-military tools to defend itself in light of recent incursions.
In further criticisms of the West, Lavrov questioned the timing of recent recognitions of a Palestinian state by some countries, including the UK and France, suggesting it was a delayed acknowledgment of a lost cause.
