MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. At a Friday webinar on Russia’s foreign policy, Sergey Lavrov, the nation’s top diplomat, revealed that the West had set its sights on setting up a "belt of instability" around Russia, swallowing up territories around it through economic and military means.
"They are attempting to build a belt of instability around us, forcing our nearest neighbors and our fraternal populations to make a choice - either you’re with the West or you’re with the Russian Federation. They want to absorb the territories around our country through various means - both military and economic ones, - and surround us with a buffer zone, additionally profiting from the fact that the West will have a decisive influence on the development of our neighboring countries," he explained.
"This line was thoroughly seen in Ukraine. Over the recent months, they tried to test out color revolution methods in Belarus as well. [In addition], the Americans and Europeans started a geopolitical battle for Moldova, not even shying away from open propaganda during the election campaign, directly meddling in the internal affairs of a seemingly sovereign state. And now our Western colleagues are attempting to expand their presence, with their militaries as well, along the perimeter of our borders, including both Central Asia and Transcaucasia," the top diplomat added.
The foreign minister stressed that Russia was ready to ensure its interests both in the post-Soviet space and in other parts of the world.