The charges against Russia over the explosive drone found at Leipzig airport are “essentially the start of a real war”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this in an interview with the Vesti news agency.
The drone in question was found on August 4 near a Ukrainian Antonov plane which is believed to be the real target of the attack. German investigators have identified two suspects: a man of Russian origin with a Latvian passport and a Belarusian man with a Russian passport. In short, both suspects are linked to Russia. The president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen defined the episode as “an attack with military equipment carried out by a Russian operation on European territory”.
Lavrov against Germany: “They are declaring war on us”
Now comes the Kremlin’s reply. Which as expected denies any responsibility, going so far as to accuse European leaders of warmongering. Lavrov has Germany in his sights. And he underlines that “no one has attempted to verify” the origin of the drone.
He then launches a harsh warning to the German government. “They have expelled the consulate general from Bonn” and “they are closing the Russian House in Berlin. I remember that before the start of the Second World War, or rather the Great Patriotic War, the Germans also closed their diplomatic missions.”
Lavrov then adds that “all the declarations” of German Chancellor Merz “about returning Germany to the role of the leading military power in Europe are coming true. In essence, he is declaring war on us. And the lessons of history have not been learned at all. Apparently, these metastases of Nazism are starting to re-emerge. This is a dangerous phenomenon. I believe that the Russian leadership will draw the necessary conclusions.”
European leaders ‘will be swept away’
Lavrov then broadens the discussion to include European leaders who, in his opinion, will have a short life. “I cannot delve into the internal mechanisms of these political figures”, but “I honestly have no great doubts that at some point, hopefully not too far away, they will be swept away” and “that the people of Europe will ultimately make the right choice. When that happens – concludes the Russian minister – is another matter, but I think it won’t take long”.