Lavrov denies hybrid war charge, saying Europe is waging war on Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denies claims that Moscow is waging a hybrid war on Europe, saying Europe is waging war on Russia, as Putin prepares to speak at Valdai.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied that Moscow is waging a hybrid war against Europe, casting the conflict as a war being waged by Europe against Russia.
President Vladimir Putin is due to speak later today at the Valdai Foreign Policy Forum in Moscow. His remarks are often closely watched for clues about Russia's thinking on the war in Ukraine. For now, there is little sign Moscow is preparing to change course.
Western officials accuse Russia of stepping up pressure on Europe through cyber attacks, sabotage and incursions into European airspace.
Asked in an interview whether he admits Russia is waging a hybrid war against Europe, Lavrov replied: 'Do you mean when we destroy drones and missiles that Britain and continental Europe supply Ukraine with and which are used to attack us? Call it what you want, but I have no doubt this is a war Europe is waging against us. We've been saying that for a long time.'
His answer reflects the official Russian narrative that what is happening in Ukraine is Europe's war on Russia. That account skips over the fact that in 2022 Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Lavrov was also asked about recent comments in which he accused the West of resorting to brutal force around the world. He asked: 'The fact that they bombed and eliminated Iran's leadership along with their families, including children, isn't that brute force?' When asked whether Russia resorts to brute force every day in Ukraine, he said: 'If you mean the destruction of infrastructure used by a Nazi regime backed by the West to wage war on the Russian Federation, then we are resorting to brute force to eliminate this direct threat to us.'
The exchange underlined how Moscow seeks to portray Ukraine's leadership as neo-Nazi in order to justify Russia's actions.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| Lavrov accused Europe of waging war against Russia. | |
| Putin was scheduled to speak at the Valdai Foreign Policy Forum in Moscow later that day. | |
| Western officials accused Russia of increasing pressure on Europe through cyber attacks, sabotage and airspace incursions. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on Lavrov's pushback in a sit-down interview, using the exchange to test Russia's official line against the 2022 invasion. It paired the Lavrov quotes with Western accusations of Russian cyber attacks, sabotage and airspace incursions, and flagged Putin's coming Valdai speech as a moment to watch. The tone was analytical and sceptical, noting the gap between Moscow's narrative and the facts it skips.
- “Call it what you want, but I have no doubt this is a war Europe is waging against us.”
- “That is the official Russian narrative, that what is happening in Ukraine is Europe's war on Russia, skipping over the fact that in 2022, it was Russia that launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
- “If you mean the destruction of infrastructure used by a Nazi regime backed by the West to wage war on the Russian Federation, then we are resorting to brute force to eliminate this direct threat to us.”
Broadcast Timeline
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