“Wherever I go, our Western colleagues are trying to give some kind of warning and inspire the host country to behave the way the Americans would like,” the head of the Foreign Ministry said. Lavrov stressed that Moscow appreciates and respects the position of its partners, which are guided by national interests and do not follow the orders of the former colonial powers. “Many of them do not hesitate to talk about it openly,” added the minister.
As an example of interference in the affairs of other countries, Lavrov cited the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, who said that Russia was behind the withdrawal of French troops from Burkina Faso. “This is a question about the principles of foreign policy, we do not interfere in internal affairs, and President Macron’s statement says frankly that France allows and applies such interference,” the Russian foreign minister said.
A similar situation was with Mali. The country’s leadership, demanding the withdrawal of French troops, then turned to the Russian Federation for help. “During the UN General Assembly session, I met with the then French Foreign Minister, and the High Representative of the EU, Mr. Borrell, had a conversation with me on the same topic. We are taking initiatives, taking some actions,” Lavrov said.
He also drew attention to statements that Russia allegedly undermines the EU’s interests in Africa. According to Lavrov, they are unfounded and are Western propaganda.
