NEW YORK: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivered a stern warning to NATO and Western nations on Saturday, cautioning that any aggression against Moscow would trigger a “decisive response.” His remarks came during an address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he accused Germany of “militaristic rhetoric” and warned against attempts to down Russian aircraft.
“Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There should be no doubt about this among those in NATO and the EU who are telling their voters that war with Russia is inevitable,” Lavrov said.
The warning follows a series of tense incidents along NATO’s eastern flank, including Estonia’s claim that three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace and reports that NATO warplanes had shot down Russian drones over Poland.
US President Donald Trump recently said he supported shooting down Russian aircraft violating NATO airspace, calling Russia’s military a “paper tiger.” Lavrov dismissed Trump’s comments at a press conference but cautioned that downing any aircraft within Russian airspace would be seen as a grave violation of sovereignty.
He stressed that Moscow had never targeted EU or NATO members with drones or missiles and had no intention to do so, but warned that expecting Ukraine to regain all its pre-2022 borders was “politically blind.”
Lavrov singled out German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, criticizing what he described as “militaristic rhetoric” and expressing concern over EU and NATO politicians predicting a possible World War Three scenario.
Despite his sharp words for NATO, Lavrov said Russia remained open to “frank dialogue” with the United States under Trump. He confirmed that a third round of talks between Washington and Moscow on restoring embassy operations would take place in the coming months. Lavrov also met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UNGA session.
Turning to other global issues, Lavrov dismissed concerns over Russia’s relations with India, despite Trump’s tariffs on Indian products and calls for New Delhi and Beijing to halt Russian oil purchases. He