Russian FM accuses West of moving towards a ‘Fourth Reich' by calling for European militarisation
The accusation was levied in an article published today in the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act on European security.
Accusing the West of betraying the Helsinki Accords- signed to relax the back then strained ties between West and East Europe, emphasising equal status and security to all - he claimed that Western powers have pursued unilateral dominance, NATO expansion, and political interference in sovereign states under the guise of promoting democracy and human rights.
Further alleging the Western powers of promoting Russophobia by staying silent 'on the eradication of the Russian language and culture in Ukraine' and the repression of Russian communities in Moldova and other Baltic states, Lavrov cited calls made by former Chancellor Olaf Scholz to rebuild European military superiority through conscription, and kill Russian soldiers in Ukraine if necessary, as signs of Europe's dark descent into 'Nazism'.
He argued that the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has failed in its mission and has instead become a vehicle for Western propaganda and selective enforcement.
He claimed that the West ignored Moscow's calls for equitable security guarantees, and that NATO's continued encroachment on Russia's borders left Moscow no choice but to launch a military assault in Ukraine.
Calling for 'honest dialogue', Lavrov said that all tensions could be resolved via a new security framework based on sovereign equality and the principles of the UN Charter.
'There will be a place for European countries within this architecture,' he wrote, 'but they certainly will not be the ones calling the tune. If they want to be part of the process, they must learn proper manners, abandon diktat and colonial instincts, and get used to equality and teamwork.'
Lavrov concluded by warning that if NATO and the EU continue to hollow out the OSCE's core principles, the organisation may collapse altogether, and history will remember those who 'buried' the last chance for peaceful coexistence in Europe.
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