Aha Dua Permata: Lavrov views latest NATO drills as unprecedented since Cold War era

Tuesday, 10 October 2023

Lavrov views latest NATO drills as unprecedented since Cold War era

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
©Valery Sharifulin/TASS

The United States’ recent joint drills with NATO allies became unprecedented since the end of the Cold War era, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his article on respecting the principles of the UN Charter.

"The series of joint drills held recently by the United States and its NATO allies in Europe, that included scenarios of the use of nuclear weapons against Russia, was unprecedented," Lavrov emphasized. He accused "irresponsible politicians" of being obsessed with their own impunity amid what he said was a total lack of the basic sense of self-preservation as they declared the task of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.

Russia’s top diplomat recalled that Western leaders’ assurances that NATO would not expand eastward proved to be a deceit.

Lavrov highlights need to immediately end Israeli-Palestinian fighting

There is a need to end the Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

"Apart from ending the fighting and solving the problem of numerous civilian casualties that are being recorded, there is also a need to pay special attention to the reasons why it has been impossible to resolve the Palestinian issue for decades," the top Russian diplomat noted.

"We planned to discuss all aspects of our cooperation today, including the upcoming ministerial meetings between Russia and Arab League members, but the current rise in Israeli-Palestinian tensions, which has once again proved that the existing status quo in the conflict zone is no longer viable, required some changes in the agenda," Lavrov added.

Israeli-Palestinian escalation

Israel came under missile attack from the Gaza Strip on the morning of October 7. Simultaneously, several groups of militants infiltrated the Jewish state, engaging in fighting with Israeli forces.

The Israeli army declared a state of readiness for war and launched retaliatory actions dubbed Operation Iron Swords. Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian movement Hamas, described the Palestinian operation as a response to aggressive actions by the Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authorized the callup of reservists and ordered that "the special security situation" be expanded nationwide. According to the latest data, about 500 Palestinians have been killed since the outbreak of renewed tensions, while 2,700 have suffered wounds. In Israel, more than 700 people have lost their lives and over 2,200 have been wounded.