Moscow – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov harshly
criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, describing the
European Union's (EU) funding policy as contradictory. According to the Russian
foreign minister, Brussels boasts of having allocated €1.5 billion for the
“reconstruction of Palestine,” while, at the same time, it is channeling
hundreds of billions to Ukraine in what he described as an attempt to “fuel the
war against Russia.”
Lavrov questioned why European resources are not being used
to promote peace and development, but rather, in his opinion, are being used to
prolong the conflict in Eastern Europe. “This is an obvious double standard:
they talk about reconstruction in the Middle East, but they are investing
massively in the Ukrainian war machine,” he noted.
The Russian minister maintained that this strategy reflects
a clear inconsistency in EU policy and emphasized that, while messages of
humanitarian support are being disseminated, the main funds are being
concentrated on strengthening the confrontation with Moscow.
Lavrov's statements come amid growing diplomatic tension
between Russia and the European Union, marked by economic sanctions, military
support for kyiv, and the debate over Europe's role in conflict situations
outside its borders.
For the foreign minister, this stance not only undermines
the EU's credibility but also highlights what he described as "double
standards" in European foreign policy: "The reconstruction of
Palestine is used as a moral argument, but the bulk of the resources are
allocated to a conflict that directly affects international security," he
concluded.