Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday accused NATO and the European Union of “declaring war” on Moscow through their support for Ukraine.
Speaking at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting at the United Nations in New York, Lavrov claimed the Western alliances had crossed the line from assisting to directly engaging in the conflict.
“NATO and the EU have basically declared war on my country and are partaking of it directly,” Lavrov said in his address.
‘NATO and EU have basically declared WAR on my country’
‘Ukraine crisis provoked by collective West’
Lavrov at UNGA sets out to make some G20 FMs squirm in their seats with hard facts pic.twitter.com/ifQn30NzCL
— RT (@RT_com) September 25, 2025
Kremlin Echoes Lavrov’s Statement
Lavrov’s remarks follow earlier comments by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who told reporters that: “NATO is at war with Russia.”
Peskov added: “It’s evident, and it doesn’t need any additional confirmation. NATO is de facto taking part in this war” by providing both direct and indirect support to what Moscow calls the Kiev regime.
Rising Tensions Between NATO and Russia
The statement comes amid growing tensions between NATO countries and Russia, following alleged airspace violations by Russian drones and fighter jets.
- Poland reported intercepting three Russian drones that entered its airspace on September 10.
- Estonia said three Russian MiG-31 jets violated its airspace over the Gulf of Finland, remaining for 12 minutes before being escorted out by NATO jets.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal condemned the breach as “totally unacceptable” and invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, requesting urgent consultations among the alliance’s 32 members.
US Comments Add to the Tension
The comments also follow a recent statement by US President Donald Trump, who urged Ukraine to reclaim territories seized by Russia “with the support of the European Union,” while highlighting the role of the U.S. in selling weapons to allies supplying Kyiv.
