If Europe attacks Russia, the war that will follow will be "completely different" and "very short", warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, quoted by the Anadolu Agency.
During the International Youth Festival in the city of Yekaterinburg, he stated that Russian representatives have repeatedly emphasized that Moscow has no intention of attacking Europe and "has no interest in doing so".
"Russia has repeatedly stated that we will not attack Western countries and we have no interest in doing so. But if Europe, which regularly talks about preparing for war against Russia, attacks the Russian Federation, then it will be a completely different war and it will be very short," Lavrov stressed.
He noted that confrontation is not Russia's method - a position that the Russian leadership has repeatedly declared, including President Vladimir Putin himself.
"The West has long made a choice in favor of containing Russia," Lavrov noted, pointing to the "forceful" expansion of NATO to Russia's borders.
The minister also criticized statements by European leaders about the need to prepare for war with Russia, saying that the topic has become a top priority for current European political leaders in Brussels.