In remarks at the Feb. 4 14th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club, according to TASS Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced the Western approach to the Middle East. “The West is used to wreaking havoc, creating crises, and then seeing what happens. The Americans, in particular, like to do this, and then watch how things unfold with great interest from across the ocean. But the Middle East is not a playground, and it shouldn’t be treated as such.”