MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Western countries of exploiting the "myth" of a Russian threat to escalate an arms race and form a "European military alliance with a nuclear component."

Speaking at a meeting in Moscow, Lavrov critiqued Europe's increased military readiness and the shift of NATO's military-industrial complexes to a wartime footing as deliberate escalations.

Lavrov highlighted that French President Emmanuel Macron recently acknowledged viewing Russia as a primary threat, positioning France and Germany at the forefront of what he termed an anti-Russian stance in Europe.

Despite these tensions, Lavrov reiterated Russia's openness to dialogue with the West on security and strategic stability, emphasizing the necessity for mutual respect and equality in negotiations.

Addressing the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Lavrov dismissed the potential effectiveness of an upcoming summit on Ukrainian settlement in Switzerland and criticized the West's continued arms supplies to Ukraine as an indication of their disinterest in a peaceful resolution.

He suggested that under current conditions, forming global security arrangements starting from Eurasia, based on principles of mutual and indivisible security, would be more appropriate — a topic discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping during President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to China. — Agencies