‘NATO Expansion’ In Reality Means Placing Territories Under US Command: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has charged that ‘NATO expansion’ in reality means that the United States wants to bring more territories under its command, with an eye towards bolstering its power in maintaining a unipolar world. 

He said in live comments on Russia’s Channel One that it’s not at all about fulfillment of the Western military alliance’s “statutory goals” – the official line from Brussels notwithstanding – but is about “development of territories under the US command”. 

The remarks were reported and translated in state media sources, coming at a moment that Finland – which shares an over 800 mile land border with Russia – is strongly mulling seeking NATO membership after Sweden indicated it would begin moving toward formal application.

Lavrov said: “Of course, when they accepted Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, how can they strengthen the security of the North Atlantic alliance, if it is a defensive alliance?”

And then answered his own question with:

“This simply shows that NATO expansion has nothing to do with the fulfillment of its statutory goals, that this is the development of territories under the US command in line with strengthening and attempting to perpetuate that same unipolar world.”

Lavrov followed by giving an anecdote in support of his claim… that in the run-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US side showed absolutely no interest in any level of compromise regarding Moscow’s clearly articulated security interests.

In effect the Russian top diplomat is saying NATO HQ ultimately bows to the dictates of Washington. He went on to say the same thing about Ukraine’s government as well:

“And as before, many of us are convinced that the real position of Ukraine is determined in Washington, London and other Western capitals. And therefore, our political scientists say, why talk with the Zelensky team — you need to talk with the Americans, and you need to negotiate with them, and achieve some kind of agreement. But we still continue to negotiate with the team that Zelensky nominated, these contacts will continue,” FM Lavrov added.

Two weeks ago he had said something along similar lines, explaining for the first time that the overarching goal of Putin’s decision to launch the ‘special operation’ in Ukraine is “meant to put an end” to both NATO expansion and US global domination.

He said at the time, “Our special military operation is meant to put an end to the unabashed expansion [of NATO] and the unabashed drive towards full domination by the US and its Western subjects on the world stage,” according to RT. 

Russian FM Lavrov: The risk of nuclear war is real, but there are many who are willing to artificially inflate it. pic.twitter.com/XBPhRC7fiP

— Vera Van Horne (@VeraVanHorne) April 25, 2022

Lavrov additionally on Monday addressed the prospect of direct confrontation with the US, leading to a potential nuclear war scenario. He called this “serious” and “real” – but stressed that Moscow seeks to reduce “artificial risks” of nuclear war, according to RIA. However, given the rate at which diplomatic ties are deteriorating between Russia and Europe and the US, there are now fewer avenues to ensure miscommunication and deconfliction on the nuclear front, as the situation becomes increasingly dangerous and alarming.