Lavrov Warns NATO at UNGA as Trump Shifts Tone on Ukraine

NEW YORK — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used his UN General Assembly address Saturday to issue one of Moscow’s starkest warnings to the West, saying NATO and the European Union were waging a "real war" against Russia. He framed the fight as a continuation of the Soviet victory in World War II and warned that Western powers were dismantling postwar principles through interventions in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, and ongoing action in the Middle East.

Lavrov condemned Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack but said Israel's Gaza campaign amounted to collective punishment of civilians, linking it to decades of unchecked Western use of force. He accused NATO of ignoring decades of security commitments and said Russia has never had and does not have plans to attack NATO or EU territory, calling Western warnings of a Russian offensive provocations. He singled out claims by European leaders as false portrayals of Moscow’s intentions, echoing President Vladimir Putin’s denials that Russia plans to strike NATO or EU territory. At the same time, Lavrov issued a direct threat: "Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There should be no doubt about this among those in NATO and the EU."

The warning comes amid heightened tension along NATO’s eastern flank. Estonia recently accused Russian jets of violating its airspace, and NATO forces shot down drones over Poland. The United States told the U.N. Security Council it would "defend every inch of NATO territory," underscoring Moscow's view of the conflict as an existential matter for Russia.

The timing also intersects with a shift in U.S. rhetoric. President Donald Trump, who met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week, has hardened his tone on the war — telling reporters that Ukraine can and should reclaim all its territory. Trump has also embraced firmer rhetoric on the war, a shift from earlier signals of openness to negotiation.

Image: Lavrov at UN General Assembly

Zelensky addressed the General Assembly, warning that failing to stop Russia now would unleash "the most destructive arms race ever." Lavrov reinforced his message at a press conference after the speech, responding to a question about Western calls to shoot down Russian aircraft that might violate European airspace. He dismissed Trump’s earlier remark that Russia was a "paper tiger," noting that the president had already walked it back. He then issued a stark warning: "If there are attempts to down any flying object … over our territory, in our airspace, then I think people will very much regret it, undertaking such an egregious violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty."

West's sanctions on Iran: Lavrov blasted Western sanctions as "illegal" and evidence of Washington’s strategy of "blackmail and pressure." He said the West sabotaged diplomatic options to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and rejected manipulations at the U.N. Security Council to isolate Tehran. Beyond Europe, Lavrov portrayed Russia as aligned with a rising "global majority" against Western dominance, pointing to BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and African and Latin American calls for greater representation at the U.N. Security Council. He accused Washington of using sanctions and military blocs to preserve hegemony, while claiming Russia was defending sovereignty for nations across the Global South.

In parallel, the U.N. Security Council rejected a China-Russia draft resolution to extend Iran sanctions relief before the deadline.

Lavrov concluded that Moscow was defending sovereignty for nations across the Global South and seeking a recalibrated international order, framed as a shift away from Western-led dominance toward a broader, multipolar global order. The remarks come as Washington and its allies try to deter perceived Russian aggression while Moscow seeks to mobilize support from BRICS and other blocs that favor a rebalanced international architecture.

Image: Zelenskyy addresses UN