Sergei Lavrov said Russia will not attack EU or NATO states but warned of a “decisive response” to any aggression, stressing Moscow’s defensive stance.
Lavrov claimed that Western nations' threats against Russia were growing "increasingly common" in a comprehensive speech given at the UN General Assembly on Saturday.
While Russia denounced the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, he also attacked Israel, claiming that there was "no justification" for the "brutal killings" of Palestinians in Gaza or for intentions to occupy the West Bank.
Israel has stated in the past that defeating Hamas requires its operation in Gaza.
According to the health ministry administered by Hamas, Israeli strikes have killed at least 65,926 people, while the attacks on October 7 killed roughly 1,200 people and took 251 captive.
He denounced Israel's actions toward other Middle Eastern nations, saying it threatened to "blow up" the region.
Israel has justified airstrikes on other Middle Eastern nations, such as Qatar, by citing its goal of destroying Hamas.
After a last-minute attempt by China and Russia to postpone the reimposition of sanctions on Iran failed Friday, Lavrov accused Western nations of undermining diplomacy. The action was deemed "illegal" by the Russian foreign minister.
The sanctions are set to come into force at 00:00 GMT on Sunday.
Speaking about tensions in Europe, Lavrov said:
"Threats of force against Russia, accused of practically planning an attack on the North Atlantic Alliance [Nato] and the European Union, are becoming increasingly common. President Putin has repeatedly debunked such provocations.
Russia has never had and does not have such intentions, but any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response."
Moscow has denied responsibility after Denmark said drones were flown over its airports. Denmark itself has said the incidents appeared to be the work of a "professional actor" but that there was no evidence of Russian involvement.
A NATO air defense mission was recently conducted over Poland as part of an alliance response to Russian drone breaches into Polish airspace, while Estonia has accused Russia of violating its airspace with airplanes.
While NATO has warned it will use "all necessary military and non-military tools" to defend itself in the wake of recent military incursions, US President Donald Trump has gone so far as to suggest that NATO countries could shoot down Russian planes in their airspace.
According to Trump, Kyiv can "win all of Ukraine back in its original form" this week, seemingly changing his stance on Russia's conflict against Ukraine.
Lavrov addressed the US-Russian relationship in his speech on Saturday, saying:
"In the approaches of the current US administration, we see a desire not only to contribute to ways to realistically resolve the Ukrainian crisis, but also a desire to develop pragmatic cooperation without adopting an ideological stance."
Lavrov further criticized the West by questioning why some nations, such as the UK and France, had recently recognized a Palestinian state, claiming that they had done so in the hopes that "no one and nothing left to recognize."
What specific actions did Lavrov describe as "aggression" against Russia?
Countries in the West, particularly those in NATO, engaging in policies and rhetoric that directly threatens Russia's security. Uncovering unauthorized and provocative flights of Russian aircraft into NATO airspace, which the West was declaring as a threat, while Russia asserted the actions had non-hostile purposes.
Support from the West to sanction elements supporting Russia in the international community, particularly Iran, which Lavrov explained was undermining any efforts of diplomacy.
Israeli military actions conducted in the Middle East, to include air strikes and aggressive operations against Iran, Palestine, and other regional countries, which Lavrov opined threaten regional stability.
He characterized a campaign to diplomatically and economically isolate Russia conducted by the West as a unilateral effort to gain concessions through blackmail and coercion.