"Russia will respond if Russian interests are attacked"

"Russia will respond if Russian interests are attacked"

“If we are attacked, we would certainly respond. If our interests, our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians have been attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia for example, I do not see any other way but to respond in accordance with international law,” he said.

The Russian minister sharpened his rhetoric as Kiev's "an anti-terrorist operation" continues in eastern Ukraine, but did not specify whether this refers to the Crimea.

Speaking of amassing troops on the border with Ukraine, Lavrov said that Russian troops did not cross the border and remain on Russian territory.

Lavrov once again accused Washington of wanting to manipulate the situation: “There is no reason not to believe that the Americans are running the show. It’s quite telling they chose the moment of the U.S. vice president's visit to announce the resumption of this operation because the launching of this operation happened immediately after (head of the CIA) John Brennan’s visit to Kiev,” said the Russian official.

“Ukraine is just one manifestation of the American unwillingness to yield in the geopolitical fight. Americans are not ready to admit that they cannot run the show in each and every part of the globe from Washington alone,” said Lavrov, adding Washington’s “ready-made solutions” cannot remedy a crisis that it does not understand.

Before making these statements, Lavrov spoke on the phone with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who asked that Russia "calm its rhetoric". Kerry also told Lavrov that Washington would have to impose additional sanctions against Russia unless tensions in eastern Ukraine calmed down.