MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Russia does not seek or want war, but if Europe, instead of acknowledging its mistakes, prepares for one, it will be a completely different war fought with very different means, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Al Arabiya TV.

He added that Russia is ready to engage with reasonable and pragmatic counterparts who still remain in a declining Europe and who consider the interests of their countries and their peoples.

TASS has compiled the key statements made by the foreign minister.

Europe in Ukraine conflict

Russia is aware of Europe’s "very specific plans" to keep Ukraine’s army at a level sufficient to wage war.

Europe intends to guarantee Kiev’s security as long as it remains an enemy of Russia and continues the war "that the European Union wants."

Security guarantees are provided "only to Ukraine, and they are clearly formulated against Russia."

Europe is "literally hysterical" in demanding a seat at the negotiating table, but there is nothing to discuss with it.

Europe has already had several opportunities to "play a constructive role" in resolving the Ukrainian conflict, but such a role no longer exists for it.

Europeans are trying to convince their voters that Russia is disrupting negotiations on a Ukrainian settlement: "German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, ‘One day we will reach an agreement with Russia, but for now it does not want negotiations.’ People make such statements and think that no one is watching what Russia is really doing."

Dialogue with Europe

Russia is ready to engage with reasonable and pragmatic counterparts who still remain in a declining Europe and who "think about the interests of their countries" and their peoples.

French President Emmanuel Macron asked that his representative’s visit to Russia be kept secret, but the French "let the cat out of the bag themselves."

Russia hopes that the current political class in Europe will "step aside" and that forces concerned with national interests and the well-being of their citizens will take over.

Russia does not seek or want war, but if Europe, instead of acknowledging its mistakes, prepares for one, "it will be a completely different war, fought with completely different means."

Revival of Nazism in Europe

Attempts to portray Hungary and Slovakia as accomplices of the "Putin regime" are driven by nostalgia for the Nazi past: "[They] think not about their peoples, but about their political ambitions, and apparently about the times when their ancestors led Europe toward Nazism - whether by serving within Hitler’s structures or by living in countries where Adolf Hitler mobilized nearly everyone to take up arms against the Soviet Union."

The Nazis never reconciled themselves to their defeat in World War II, and their hatred of Russia is now resurfacing: "This hatred has broken out again. Both hatred and resentment that they didn’t win then, but now they want to. That’s what they’re talking about."

Munich Conference

Vladimir Zelensky "does not want peace," as shown by his behavior at the Munich Conference.

"Slogans of various kinds sounded in Munich, but their essence was the same: Russia is the enemy, and Ukraine must ‘finish off’ Russia."

Relations with US

Russia-US relations under US President Donald Trump are "pragmatic": "We understand that we need to be guided by common sense."

Russia and the US have agreed to create an economic working group: "We want to understand what mutual benefits mean to Donald Trump’s administration."

Russia appreciates Trump’s position on Ukraine and is monitoring Europe’s attempts to knock him off his "principled course."

The US is "trying to oust Russia from the global energy markets," despite statements about future cooperation.

Syria situation

The US is acting wisely by withdrawing its forces from northeastern Syria, but the move carries the risk of creating new threats in the region: "The withdrawal must be organized in such a way that no new threats arise. As is often the case with the Americans, they are doing this rather abruptly."

Russia observes how, in southern Syria, the Israelis are asserting an almost "controlling role" and are "building bridges with the Druze."

The Syrian side is interested in maintaining Russia’s presence, and the parties are engaged in dialogue over military facilities.

Russia is prepared to turn its military bases in Syria into humanitarian hubs for transporting aid to the African continent.

The Syrian authorities view Russia’s presence in Hmeimim and Tartus as a stabilizing factor that "balances the influence of other players."

Gaza Strip crisis

Ceasefire violations in the Gaza Strip continue, and fighting persists despite Trump’s peace plan: "Overall, military activity has sharply decreased, but ceasefire violations continue."

Russia sent a note to the US agreeing to use $1 billion in frozen funds to rebuild Gaza, but no response followed: "I heard that when President Trump learned about this, he reacted positively and said it was a good idea. But since then, the Americans have not confirmed their president’s assessment in any way."

"We don’t want our money to go to anything unrelated to meeting the basic needs of the civilian population, building housing, clinics, schools, and so on."

Iran dispute

Any new strikes against Iran would have "unfortunate consequences" for the entire international community.

Russia has no doubt that Iran sincerely wants to resolve the issue surrounding its nuclear program based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Attempts to demand that Iran completely renounce its right to enrich uranium in Geneva are "inappropriate."

Russia is concerned about attempts by the UN Secretariat to collude with Europe’s deception against Iran.

Moscow "highly appreciates the activities" of the Secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and calls for work on Iran’s nuclear program to remain free from political influence.

The strikes on Iran by the US and Israel not only undermined the authority of the IAEA and the NPT but also carried real risks of a nuclear incident.

It is difficult to ignore that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is actively pushing for "radical measures against Iran, undermining its legitimate rights under the NPT and other international treaties and conventions."

Relations with Arab world

Russian civilization emerged around the same time as that of the Arab world, which is an "additional reason for mutual sympathy."

Russia "values" its relations with Arab countries and plans to hold a summit with the Arab League.

Russia considers Saudi Arabia its "strategic partner in the region," and Russian President Vladimir Putin has established trusting, open, and mutually beneficial ties with the kingdom’s leadership.

The flow of tourists from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Russia is increasing, as is the number of trips by Russians to the Gulf countries.

OPEC+ "plays and will continue to play a responsible role in global energy markets," and the Russian-Saudi alliance within this important structure is functioning well.