(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has asserted that his country is confronting the collective West independently for the first time in its history, emphasizing the need for self-reliance in the current geopolitical climate.

Speaking at the ‘Territory of Meanings’ forum on Monday, Lavrov described the situation as unprecedented, stemming from the intensification of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, which has sparked a serious confrontation with Western nations.

"The main task is to defeat the enemy. For the first time in history, Russia is fighting alone against the entire West. In World War I and World War II, we had allies.

Now we have no allies on the battlefield. So we must rely on ourselves and not allow any weakness,” he stated, underlining Russia’s solitary position and the imperative to stay resilient.

Lavrov reiterated that Moscow will not compromise on its fundamental security concerns, which he said were central to the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine.

“We insist on what is our legitimate demand… no dragging Ukraine into NATO, no NATO expansion at all. It has already expanded right up to our borders, contrary to all promises and documents that were adopted,” he said.

Lavrov further insisted that any resolution to the conflict must take into account the altered territorial landscape now present.

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