Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used the United Nations General Assembly in New York to accuse European leaders of deliberately provoking a conflict, pointing to surging defense investments and accelerated war preparations across the continent.
Dismissing Offensive Plans in New York
Speaking at his closing press conference on September 27, 2026, Lavrov flatly dismissed warnings of a potential Russian attack as absurd.
“We are not going to fight Europe, it is a nightmare and nonsense,” Lavrov stated, dismissing the prospect of fighting Europe as nonsense.
The Danger of Rising Defense Investments
Despite calling offensive plans baseless fabrications, the Russian Foreign Minister argued that European preparations and increased spending on weapons manufacturing create a dangerous dynamic that risks a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“But it is Europe that is preparing for war with us… Such a position may turn out to be a prophecy that may come true, because they are now investing huge amounts of money in arms production,” he added, asserting that current capital allocations send provocative signals rather than deterring aggression.
Predicting a Brief Armed Engagement
Lavrov also issued a direct warning regarding the potential speed and nature of any future conflict, suggesting that an armed engagement initiated by European adversaries would not drag on.
“And at some point some adventurer will say: ‘Guys, we’ve accumulated so much, where are we going to put it? We promised to attack the Russians.'” [sic],” Lavrov said.”
He added that in the event of an attack, “no mūsu puses aiztures nebūs,” warning that it would be an entirely different and short war.
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