Russia Issues Ominous Warning to Countries Preparing for War

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has issued a warning to countries preparing for a potential war with Russia.

Speaking at a press briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York City Wednesday, Lavrov commented on the calls by many Western nations that have anticipated a potential conflict with Russia in the coming years, saying that he hopes "that those who warn about the need to prepare for war with Russia still have the instinct of self-preservation."

Lavrov appeared to be referencing warnings from several NATO members that the growing tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine could boil over into other parts of eastern Europe. President Joe Biden has warned that if the U.S. is unable to continue supporting Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion, Washington and the West risk being pulled into the war with Moscow "directly."

"We have no desire, no need, neither military, nor political, nor economic, to attack anyone anywhere," Lavrov said Wednesday, according to a report from Russian newspaper Pravda .

The Kremlin has previously dismissed concerns over future conflict with the West, including after a report earlier this year by German newspaper Bild, which said that, according to a classified document reviewed by the outlet, Berlin was preparing its armed forces for a future attack by Moscow. At the time, Russian foreign affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova compared the predictions to "a mighty horoscope."

Germany's Council on Foreign Relations also predicted in November that NATO should be prepared for a major war with Russia within five to nine years. Estonia's Foreign Intelligence Service released a report last month that put that timeline at three to five years , adding concern that the Baltic states apart of the Western bloc—Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—are considered "the most vulnerable part of NATO" by the Kremlin.

NATO has taken steps to bolster its own defenses in recent months. The alliance announced plans last week for operation "Steadfast Defender 2024," NATO's largest military exercise since the Cold War. The exercise will include 90,000 allied troops and is stationed to take place in Poland, which shares a border with Russia. Drill locations are also set in the Baltic states and other European allies, although NATO did not identify any specific threats that instigated the exercise.

A handful of Western allies also united earlier this month to purchase up to 1,000 Patriot missiles in an effort to strengthen Europe's air defense systems. The $5.6 billion contract was signed by Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, among other countries.

Newsweek reached out to NATO's press office via email for comment on Wednesday.