The confrontation between Russia and the United States is mounting, and this is evidenced by the Russophobic rhetoric and the build-up of NATO military infrastructure near Russian borders, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during "The Big Game" TV show on Channel One. According to him, "the rhetoric has gone beyond diplomatic decency."
Washington has been moving towards Russian borders by admitting Russian neighbours to NATO. In addition, NATO has been deploying its military infrastructure near Russia. "We already respond with pinpoint reactions to those engaged in Russophobic rhetoric and Russophobic actions," Sergei Lavrov said. However, the minister added, the Russian administration remains opposed to "harsh reactions." "Andrei Gromyko, an outstanding foreign minister of the USSr, said once that ten years of negotiations are better than one day of war. And he was right, at least I think so," Lavrov said.
Most likely, Sergei Lavrov spoke about the sanctions that Russia imposed on dozens of foreign individuals having barred them from entering the territory of the Russian Federation. It goes about 28 former and current members of the European Parliament, 26 politicians (including former Vice Prime Minister and Defense Secretary of Great Britain Nick Clegg and Andrew Robotan, former Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis and former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius), 15 employees of military and law enforcement agencies (including Polish military representative to NATO Andrzej Falkowski, commander of the Estonian Defense Union Meelis Kiili and MI5 chief Andrew Parker).