Lavrov: West waging open war on Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that Moscow views the actions of the West as an open war against Russia. Speaking at a meeting with heads of Russian non-profit organizations, Lavrov stated the West has 'declared war on us' and is using Kyiv as a 'battering ram' to break down the door. He framed the conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war waged by Western nations against Russia. This rhetoric reinforces the Kremlin's narrative that it is defending itself against an existential threat from NATO and its allies.