(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed deep apprehension over NATO’s ongoing enlargement and its alleged attempts to transform Eurasia into its “fiefdom.”

Speaking at a security forum in Minsk, Belarus, the top Russian diplomat mocked the alliance’s repeated claim that it is a “purely defensive alliance.”

Lavrov asserted that NATO has been “artificially expanding its zone of responsibility far beyond the Euro-Atlantic region” by appropriating the concept of “the indivisibility of Euro-Atlantic security and the so-called Indo-Pacific region.”

He emphasized that the bloc’s growing involvement in Asia is being pursued with “the obvious goal of containing China, isolating Russia, and confronting the DPRK [North Korea].”

The minister pointed out that NATO’s sphere of influence has also extended to various parts of Eurasia, including the Middle East, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and South Asia.

“Everywhere, they’re trying to gain a foothold,” Lavrov remarked, highlighting that this presence is often “extremely negative” because of the bloc’s “aggressive policies.”

“A reasonable question arises: if this is the general trend, do we want our entire vast, beautiful continent to be turned into NATO’s fiefdom? We cannot agree with this,” Lavrov declared, underlining Moscow’s opposition to the alliance’s ambitions.

Lavrov also voiced alarm over NATO’s intentions to step up its involvement in the Arctic, underscoring that Russia and other “sensible countries” wish for the region to remain an area dedicated to peace and cooperation.

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