In his remarks at the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, September 28th, the Russian foreign minister insisted that Russia has no intention of attacking any NATO or EU member state, dismissing warnings of a Russian offensive in the West as “provocations.” At the same time, Sergei Lavrov warned: “Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There can be no doubt about this among NATO and EU members.”
His remarks came after Poland, Romania, Estonia, and most recently Denmark reported violations of their airspace by foreign drones, prompting the United States to reiterate that it would “defend every square inch of NATO territory.” Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has shifted his rhetoric, declaring after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine can and must reclaim all of its territory, a change from the tone of last month’s U.S.-Russia talks in Alaska.
Lavrov accused European leaders of pursuing militaristic policies, condemned Western sanctions and “double standards,” and concluded with a stark warning: “If they try to shoot down any flying object over our territory, in our airspace, then I think people will very much regret such a serious violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
