Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that he plans to travel to North Macedonia later this week to attend a conference, a trip that would mark his first visit to a NATO member country since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine.
Quick Read
- First Visit to NATO Member Post-Ukraine Invasion: Lavrov announced his plans to visit North Macedonia later this week to attend an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) conference. This will be his first visit to a NATO member country since Russia’s military action in Ukraine in February 2022.
- OSCE Membership and Chairmanship: Russia is one of the 57 members of the OSCE, an organization established during the Cold War to ease East-West tensions. North Macedonia, currently holding the OSCE’s rotating chairmanship, invited Lavrov to the foreign ministers’ meeting in Skopje, the capital.
- Airspace Restrictions: NATO members have banned Russian flights following Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. Lavrov mentioned that Bulgaria, a NATO member, appears to have granted permission for his plane to overfly its airspace to reach North Macedonia.
- Potential Bilateral Meetings: Lavrov expressed his openness to having bilateral meetings with several foreign ministers who will also be attending the meeting in Skopje.
- No Meeting with Antony Blinken: Lavrov’s deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, clarified that there are no plans for Lavrov to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the OSCE meeting.
- Concerns About European Security: Lavrov expressed his view that the current security situation in Europe is more dangerous than at any time during the Cold War, citing a lack of political and diplomatic restraint.
- Rebuilding Ties with Europe Not a Priority: Lavrov indicated that Moscow is not focused on rebuilding ties with Europe but is instead concentrating on safeguarding Russia’s economy, life, and security.
- Western Support for Ukraine and Geopolitical Factors: Lavrov suggested that Western support for Ukraine might diminish due to upcoming elections in the U.S. and Europe, the Israel-Hamas war, and the current state of the battlefield in Ukraine.
- Skepticism about Western Intentions: Lavrov expressed skepticism about any offers from the West to freeze the conflict in Ukraine, questioning their alignment with Russia’s interests and the reliability of European counterparts.
- Critique of Western Reputation: Lavrov concluded with a critique of the West’s reputation, implying that it has been significantly but not completely undermined in Moscow’s view.
These statements and Lavrov’s upcoming visit to North Macedonia highlight the ongoing complex diplomatic and security dynamics in Europe, particularly in the context of the Ukraine conflict and Russia-NATO relations.
The Associated Press has the story:
Russian FM says he plans to attend OSCE meeting in N. Macedonia
Newslooks- MOSCOW (AP)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that he plans to travel to North Macedonia later this week to attend a conference, a trip that would mark his first visit to a NATO member country since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine.
Russia is one of the 57 members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, set up during the Cold War to help defuse East-West tensions. North Macedonia, which holds the group’s rotating chairmanship, last week invited Lavrov to an OSCE foreign ministers’ meeting that starts Thursday in Skopje, the capital of the small, landlocked Balkan country.
NATO members banned Russian flights after Moscow launched its military action in Ukraine in February 2022. To reach North Macedonia, Lavrov’s plane would need to fly through the airspace of Bulgaria or Greece, which also belong to the Western military alliance.
Speaking at a foreign policy conference in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov said Bulgaria apparently has given permission for an overflight.
“It appears that Bulgaria promised Macedonia to open its airspace,” he said. “If it works, we will get there.”
Lavrov said his office has received requests for bilateral meetings from several foreign ministers of other countries who plan to be in Skopje. “Of course, we will meet with everyone,” he said,
His deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, told reporters that Lavrov wasn’t going to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also is expected to attend the OSCE foreign ministers’ meeting.
Lavrov argued that the security situation in Europe is more dangerous now than at any time during the Cold War. In the past, he maintained, the Soviet Union, the U.S. and its NATO allies back then sought to “restrain their rivalry with political and diplomatic practices” and never “expressed such serious concerns about their future, their physical future.”
“Now such fears are all too common,” he added.
Lavrov further declared that Moscow isn’t thinking about rebuilding ties with Europe but how instead “we should safeguard ourselves in all key sectors of our economy, our life on the whole and our security.”
The defiant stand appeared to reflect Moscow’s hope that Western support for Ukraine could wane amid the forthcoming elections in the U.S. and Europe, the Israel-Hamas war and the state of the battlefield where a Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed to make any significant gains.
Lavrov charged that while some in the West may want to freeze the conflict to buy time for Ukraine to rearm itself, “we’ll think over and weigh all those offers 10 times to see how they comply with our interests and how reliable those European counterparts are.”
“They’ve undermined their reputation very, very badly,” Lavrov said. “Maybe not completely yet.”
