Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow is prepared to give NATO and EU countries a non-aggression guarantee, reiterating that Russia has no intention of attacking any of their current members.
“We have repeatedly said that we had, and have, no intention to attack any current NATO or EU member,” Lavrov said at a Eurasian security forum in Minsk, Belarus.
“We are ready to enshrine this position in future security guarantees for this part of Eurasia,” he said, according to the transcript provided by his ministry.
Lavrov framed the proposal within a speech largely repeating Moscow’s criticisms of Western powers.
He said meaningful dialogue with the leaders of EU countries was impossible because they refused what he called “genuine collective security guarantees” — meaning guarantees not just against, but also with Russia, in the event of an end to the war in Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine, ordered by President Vladimir Putin, has shaken Europe’s security architecture, and efforts to end the conflict have raised questions about how Ukraine could be protected from potential future Russian attacks.
NATO and EU planners foresee long-term military strengthening to deter Moscow, while Russia continues to build up its forces in a manner many experts say exceeds the demands of the Ukraine war.