Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on Friday that the West was searching for a pretext to “get its claws inside” Russia because Moscow had become viewed as being an overly independent actor in the international sphere.
“[The West] was looking for an excuse to encircle Russia. In an interview with the “Bolshaya” newspaper, he explained, “They were waiting for an opportunity to do this because they had started to see Russia as too independent a player, which, even though it may not be developing as much economic power as China or India, was nonetheless among the leading world economies and holds rather weighty moral and political stances in the international arena, advocating from a position of justice on those issues that are of critical importance for the developing countries “) on the Channel One television network in Russia.
The senior Russian ambassador claims that when Russia criticises the West for trying to “live at the expense of others” in the post-colonial era, the West is reluctant to listen.
