Western leaders are trying to shift attention away from inflation, falling living standards, and migration, according to the foreign minister

Western leaders are deliberately painting Russia as a threat to distract their citizens from domestic economic and social woes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

In an interview with the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet on Monday, Lavrov dismissed claims made by Western intelligence agencies that Moscow is plotting to attack or occupy Europe. "Perhaps those who make such claims know more about Russia's plans than we do. At least we are unaware of our plans to 'attack Europe', let alone 'occupy' it," he quipped.

Lavrov said he generally concurs with analysts who believe that the "ruling circles in Europe and North America are working hard to create an image of Russia as an enemy to rally populations tired of social and economic problems." He accused Western governments of systematically "demonizing" Russia through media manipulation and pushing the notion of Moscow harboring some kind of "imperial ambitions."

Among the issues Western leaders hope to deflect attention from are inflation, unemployment, falling living standards, illegal migration, and rising crime, he added.

Lavrov went on to criticize what he described as the EU's transformation into a "military-political bloc" and "an appendix to NATO." "This is a dangerous trend that could have far-reaching consequences for all Europeans," he warned.

The minister's comments come on the heels of the NATO summit in The Hague last month during which the leaders of the bloc agreed to work toward a target of spending least 5% of GDP on defense - something US President Donald Trump has insisted on - and continue to support Ukraine. Moscow has consistently argued that military shipments to Kiev will only prolong the conflict without changing its outcome.

(RT.com)