Russia is viewing the European Union as an unfriendly association now, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with aif.ru posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website on Tuesday.
"The European Union has ‘lost’ Russia. However, it is its own making. Exactly the EU member-states and leaders of the Union openly state the need of inflicting the strategic defeat to Russia, as they say. They are filling the criminal Kiev regime with weapons and munitions and send instructors and mercenaries to Ukraine. These are the reasons why we consider the EU to be the unfriendly association," Lavrov said.
The Russian side made necessary conclusions from this situation, the minister stressed. Moscow will act in response to hostile steps "decidedly if necessary, being governed by national interests of Russia and the reciprocity principle commonly adopted in the diplomatic practice," he added.
Kiev, Western puppeteers do everything to prolong conflict, Lavrov says
The Kiev regime and its Western puppeteers do everything they can in order to prolong hostilities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview for air.ru, published on the Foreign Ministry website Tuesday.
Commenting on peace plan for Ukraine, proposed by China, Lavrov noted that it is consonant for key Russian approaches.
"Especially regarding the need to ensure equal and indivisible security for all countries in Europe and in the world in general," the Minister noted. "So far, the peace process has been hindered by Kiev and its Western puppeteers who exert all efforts in order to prolong the hostilities."
Lavrov noted that Russian and Chinese leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping stated "the importance for further close coordination on foreign policy."
"We see the causes of main challenges in the international security area in a similar way. We note the West’s unwillingness to engage in an inter-state dialogue based on principles of equality. We oppose the use of sanctions pressure methods and other instruments of unscrupulous competition," the Foreign Minister continued. "Meanwhile, our strategic cooperation is not aimed against third countries. It contributes to balanced development of the entire international system."
The Minister underscored that the Chinese side reaffirmed its "weighted position on the Ukrainian issue."
"We welcome Beijing’s readiness to play a constructive role in political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict," he concluded.
US makes its allies sign contracts with onerous terms, says Russian embassy
The US administration ‘twists arms of its allies’, forcing them to sign energy supply contracts with unfavorable terms, the Russian embassy in Washington said.
"We took note of the Administration's statements on the US ‘accomplishments’ over the past year in the enhancement of energy security of its European allies by reducing ‘dependence’ on Russian energy resources. In fact, US authorities provide information on how Washington provoked the most serious imbalances on global energy markets," the diplomats pointed out.
"Let's call spade a spade. What one can not take away from the White House is a very dubious 'ability' to create an image of a common foe in order to initiate a complete restructuring of commodity markets. At the same time, the United States does not hesitate to twist arms of its allies, imposing on them contracts with onerous terms for decades to come. For its part, Russia, as a responsible partner, has always preferred a different way of energy cooperation - based on mutual benefit," the embassy said, "Apparently, inability to achieve fair competitive advantages was the reason that forced our detractors to take radical steps like embargoes and the introduction of notorious ‘price caps’ for Russian hydrocarbons."
Europe’s problems
According to the Russian embassy, the US authorities "with tenacity worthy of a better application" discuss "advantages" of breaking energy ties between Russia and Europe. "The record shipments of the US LNG, designed to replace ‘undemocratic’ Russian natural gas, are portrayed as ‘manna from heaven’. Tellingly, Administration prefers to remain silent about the cost of resolving hardships imposed by the White House upon ordinary European citizens. At the same time, according to Western journalists, overcoming the 2022 energy crisis will cost taxpayers in the EU at least $1 trillion," the diplomats stressed.
The embassy noted that "expenditures on importing liquefied and pipeline gas aimed to replace Russian fuel has already tripled (to $208 billion)." "Shortages of energy resources are expected that might force to ration energy consumption. And this is not to mention a serious ‘rollback’ from ambitious climate goals amid rising greenhouse gas emissions.
The fact that key beneficiaries of the campaign launched by Washington to oust ‘unreliable’ suppliers are, first of all, the biggest American corporations, is an ‘open secret’," the commentary said, "By the end of 2022, the total income of Western energy companies have skyrocketed by 48% to $3.6 trillion. The US Administration does not talk about it so willingly. Neither does it mention the need to build expensive carbon-intensive energy infrastructure.".
Dollar, euro mixed as trading session kicks off
The dollar has lost one kopeck to 78.73 rubles in early trading hours at the Moscow Exchange on Tuesday.
The euro gained 7.25 kopecks to reach 86 rubles. The yuan moved up by 1.4 kopecks to 11.44 rubles.
