Russia's Lavrov warns West of 'start of real war' over German airport attack claim
The German government said on September 1 that it had concluded that Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that the accusations levelled at Moscow by the West that it was involved in the drone incident at Germany's Leipzig airport were, "by and large, the start of a real war".
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The German government said on September 1 that it had concluded that Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month and ordered a series of measures in response, including the closure of a consulate and a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.
Russia dismissed the German accusations as baseless, accusing Berlin of planting evidence to frame Russia for the attack.
"All these statements by Merz about making Germany the leading military power in Europe once again – they are being put into practice. He is, in effect, declaring war on us," Lavrov said, referring to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
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On Saturday, the US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said that NATO members should not tolerate deliberate actions of hybrid war, and the United States will stand by countries as they deal with these incidents.
Whitaker said last month's attempted drone attack at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport was more worrying than other recent incidents NATO members have faced due to Russian drones targeting Ukraine that strayed off course.
"Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland," Whitaker said, speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Italy.
NATO members must be prepared, vigilant and also deliver a strong message when they are challenged by these events, he said.
"If we can identify who's doing it — which Germany did — we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," Whitaker said.
Critical infrastructure, including energy assets, could be targeted and should be monitored by national authorities, he added.
The response to these challenges is primarily national, but the United States supports countries when they are dealing with these acts, he said.