During an online press conference yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blasted the “Brussels puppet masters” for their unwillingness to give Russia a forum in Belgrade to lay out its views on some regional issues. “We planned to consider a broad agenda,” he said. “We wanted to talk, of course, about the rapidly developing strategic partnership in our bilateral relations, we also wanted to talk about international affairs, but, apparently, the Brussels puppet masters didn’t feel like giving us another forum so [that] in the capital of Serbia we could lay out, reaffirm Russia’s position on the issue of Kosovo and the issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
“What has happened is basically a deprivation of a sovereign state’s right to conduct foreign policy. Serbia’s international activity is blocked, at least for the moment in the direction of Russia,” Lavrov continued. “We are not going to beat around the bush here. This is another very clear and instructive demonstration of the extent to which NATO and the EU can go to use the most lowbrow ways to influence those who are guided by national interests and not ready to sacrifice their principles, their dignity in favor of the very rules that the West imposes instead of international law,” Lavrov added.
