SKOPJE: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov faced criticism from Western counterparts during international security talks in Northern Macedonia on Thursday, where he attributed the return of war to Europe to “NATO’s reckless expansion to the East.”
Lavrov, attending meetings hosted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), experienced a boycott from diplomats of several OSCE member countries, including Ukraine, due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Lavrov, blaming Western tolerance of the “ruling neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv,” spoke for 15 minutes before walking out of the meetings.
Western ministers at the OSCE meeting sharply criticized Lavrov’s statements. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated, “Russia’s attempts to blame others for its own choices are transparent.”
The OSCE, based in Vienna, Austria, focuses on promoting security, stability, and cooperation among participating states. Lavrov’s attendance led to North Macedonia lifting a ban on Russian flights, with Lavrov facing obstacles in Bulgarian airspace.
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania boycotted the talks due to Lavrov’s participation.
Russian state news agency Tass stated that the minister took a detour over Turkey and Greece to reach the summit after Bulgaria denied access to its airspace for his plane. Greek officials have not responded to requests for comment.
