By Guy Faulconbridge
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, asked about Russia’s stability in the aftermath of a failed mercenary mutiny, said on Friday that his country has always emerged stronger and more resilient from any difficulties.
Lavrov, who was speaking at a news conference, said the reaction of many Western officials to Saturday’s aborted mutiny by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin – who had said that the facade of Russian power had cracked – showed indirectly that the same officials were at war with Moscow.
“We do not have to explain anything or give assurances to anyone. We are acting transparently, the president and all the political forces in our country have spoken on the subject. If there are doubts in the West, that’s your problem,” said Lavrov.
“Russia has always emerged more resilient and stronger after any difficulties,” he added.
Russia’s top diplomat said Moscow itself had doubts about the abilities of many Western politicians.
Lavrov called for the membership of the U.N. Security Council to be expanded in order to give more representation to Asian, African and Latin American countries to break what he called Western domination of the world.
“A majority of the world does not want to live according to Western rules,” said Lavrov.
He reiterated Moscow’s accusation that the West, especially the United States, was trying to prevent Russia and China from acting independently in a multipolar world.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
