MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday accused Ukrainian authorities of trying to undermine Moscow’s cooperation with African countries, stating their efforts are driven by Russophobia and a desire to erase Russian influence from the region.
Lavrov made the remarks at a press conference in Moscow following talks with Mozambique’s Foreign Minister Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas.
According to Lavrov, the Kiev regime is attempting to isolate Russia on the international stage, including in Africa, because of a deep-seated hostility toward all things Russian.
Lavrov observed that "regrettably, after years of hard work, the West eventually brought Russia-hating neo-Nazis to power [in Ukrane], who have been trying to carry out the order to weaken Russia by creating direct threats to its security in Ukrainian territory and eliminating all things Russian, including the historical memory of how the country came to be and to whom it owes its existence."
"I don’t even need to give any more reasons as they are clear to everyone, but we can see at the moment that this is exactly what the West’s goal was," the Russian foreign minister pointed out.