Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused the US and NATO of adding to the existing problems between India and China. Lavrov said that NATO and the US are ‘making overtures’ to India and creating additional problems.
“NATO’s Madrid Summit declared that the military bloc had a global commitment, specifically in relation to the Asia-Pacific region, which they call the Indo-Pacific region. It is clear that they are attempting to make overtures to India to create additional problems in its relations with China,” Lavrov said.
The Russian political establishment under Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of fomenting suspicion and disbelief between the world’s largest economies.
The relations between India and China have suffered due to the neighbour’s constant violation of status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Galwan Valley and Arunachal Pradesh. Clashes instigated by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops have further challenged prospects of normalisation of ties between both nations.
The Russian foreign minister, who was addressing a press conference in Moscow, said that NATO and the US are encouraging new military blocs and targeting AUKUS. He also said that Japan is being forced to revisit its pacifist constitution and enhance its military strength.
The West is creating a bloc architecture against Russia and China. With this aim in view, they have consistently been destroying decades-old mechanisms and formats of cooperation created around ASEAN, based on equality, consensus, and a balance of interests,” Lavrov said.
“They are putting together military blocs. A case in point is AUKUS, an Anglo-Saxon bloc in Asia, which includes the US, the UK, and Australia). Japan is under pressure to join it as well. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent visit to Washington ended up confirming this course. Japan is militarising again. As I understand it, Japan is bracing to alter the articles in its constitution that prevent it from doing this,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov did not make any comments regarding Quad grouping of which India is a member.
The foreign minister accused the US of being jealous of the economic development that India, China, Russia, Turkey and other Russian allies are witnessing.
“Countries are developing economically. Look at China and India (our strategic partners), Türkiye, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt and many African countries. Considering their immense natural resources, their development potential is enormous. New centres of economic growth are emerging and the West is trying to prevent this,” Lavrov said.
He said that steps are being taken to challenge the hegemony of the US dollar and the associations like Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are working to find alternatives.
Speaking of Russian objectives in Ukraine, Lavrov indicated that if the West believes that arming Ukraine will improve its stance during any possible peace discussions then hopes of peace talks at this point remains futile.
He said that Putin’s military objectives in Ukraine were not ‘pulled out of the blue.’ He said those objectives were shaped by legitimate interests of the Russian Federation.
(with inputs from Shalinder Wangu)
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