Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that Russia could devastate Europe in a "short" war, accusing European leaders of actively preparing for armed conflict with Russia.
Speaking to journalists at the UN General Assembly in New York, Lavrov said a war between Europe and Russia risked becoming a "self-fulfilling prophecy".
Lavrov's Warning at UN
He said on Saturday: "We have no intention to fight Europe, to engage in warfare with Europe - that is utter nonsense. But Europe is preparing for war with us. They constantly reiterate that, by 2030 at the latest, we, the Europeans, must be ready for war.
"You know, this could turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy, because they are currently investing huge amounts of money in the production of weapons."
He went on to say: "And at some point, some adventurer, and there are many of them in these elites, will say, 'Guys, we've accumulated so much, what do we do with it? ... Oh, we promised to attack Russia.' In that case, if they attack us, because we are not going to... stand idly by."
In what appeared to be a veiled reference to nuclear weapons, Lavrov added: "It will be a completely different war, and it will be short."
Accusations Against Germany
His comments came just hours after he held talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly – marking the first such meeting since before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In additional comments made to reporters, Lavrov accused Germany of attempting to establish a "Fourth Reich" and of stoking "Nazism" across Europe.
"This trend in Europe is evident not only in its open support for Nazism in Ukraine," he said. "German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says - more than once, it was no slip of the tongue - that the goal is for Germany once again to become Europe's leading military power."
Alluding to Germany's role in World War Two, he added: "Does he understand the meaning of 'once again'?"
German Response and Tensions
Wadephul later informed European allies about his meeting with Lavrov, reportedly stating in a message: "I used this opportunity to reiterate our position on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and to call for an immediate and complete cease-fire, most pressingly with a focus on grain exports, and the energy infrastructure."
Tensions between Russia and Germany have grown since the German government said it had concluded that Moscow was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany's eastern state of Saxony on August 4.
Earlier this month, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that after assessing the drone technology used and other intelligence, "the government concludes that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig on August 4".
"We do not view the Leipzig incident in isolation, but rather see it in the context of other hybrid actions," he said. "We assume that Germany is the target of further hybrid attacks by Russia."
Wadephul announced at the time that Germany would close Russia's consulate in Bonn later this month and cancel the contract for the Russian House, a cultural centre in Berlin.
"We are tightening entry controls for Russian nationals", he said, adding that Germany would propose the listing of more Russian individuals for EU sanctions. Wadephul also said he had summoned Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev.
