Russia Says It Is Prepared to Respond to Any NATO Threat

DID Press: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is closely monitoring NATO statements about preparations for a potential war with Russia and remains vigilant against any possible threat.

Lavrov made the remarks on Tuesday, October 6, following talks in Moscow with Bendito dos Santos Freitas, the foreign minister of Timor-Leste. He said Russia was following reports about NATO’s defensive plans for its eastern flank with what he described as a “philosophical” attitude.

“We hear what is being said, but we remain vigilant,” Lavrov said, according to reports of the press conference.

The Russian foreign minister said Moscow’s main priority was to continue pursuing the objectives set by President Vladimir Putin in the war in Ukraine and to prevent what the Kremlin describes as potential threats from Russia’s Western neighbors.

Lavrov also referred to recent tensions surrounding Kaliningrad, saying Putin had made clear that any attack on the Russian exclave or another part of Russian territory would receive a response. He noted that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and the U.S. permanent representative to NATO had assured Moscow that the alliance had no plans to attack Russia and described NATO as a defensive alliance.

Commenting on NATO’s changing statements, Lavrov said: “Today they say one thing, and tomorrow they say something else.”