Lavrov says Europe is using Russia as scapegoat for economic failure as Putin’s “best friend” Xi Jinping breaks ranks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is accusing Europe of turning Russia into its favorite excuse. “Europe has gone mad in its campaign against Russia … pushing the narrative that we are an eternal enemy,” he said this week.

Lavrov claims this is a move to cover up internal failures. He says the EU is weaponizing this anti-Russian narrative to distract people from domestic problems.

According to him, Europe wants its citizens to “forget social issues and ignore economic failures,” all while funneling taxes, public funds, and national resources into military build-up. “The goal is clear,” Lavrov said. “To militarize Europe.”

He blames Western governments for helping Ukraine attack Russia. “These actions do not stop,” he added, pointing to what he calls Kyiv’s repeated provocations and terrorist attacks on civilian areas. Lavrov claims the EU is fueling this by encouraging Ukraine behind the scenes.

Lavrov warns EU over Kyiv support, backs Trump’s foreign policy shift

Lavrov says Russia will hit back. “We will deliver a fitting response,” he declared. He insisted Moscow will meet all its objectives, even if the EU tries to block them “through the hands of Kyiv.” In his view, Europe is part of the fight by enabling Ukraine.

But Lavrov also made it clear that Russia sees a change coming, especially in U.S. politics, pointing to the change from the Biden White House to Donald Trump’s administration as a possible turning point. “I hope the reasonable approach, including a willingness for dialogue, to listen and understand, demonstrated by the Trump administration … will not go unnoticed in Europe,” he said. Lavrov claims Trump’s team isn’t in “lockstep” with what he calls “reckless Europeans.”

Meanwhile, over in Beijing, China’s trying to fix a shaky trade relationship with Europe while juggling a full-blown economic war with the U.S., but it’s not really working. Beijing says talks are happening, but there’s no real breakthrough.

This week, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a “candid and in-depth” video call with the EU’s trade commissioner, Maros Sefcovic. The two talked about trade cooperation, shared economic challenges, and unresolved tensions. China’s trade ministry confirmed the conversation on Wednesday and made it clear Beijing isn’t happy about recent EU decisions. Wang protested Europe’s decision to include two Chinese banks in its new sanctions targeting Russia.

China’s Xi slowly pulls away from Putin

The EU just passed its 18th sanctions package against Russia over the Ukraine invasion. This latest round blacklists 26 new entities for dodging sanctions. Seven are Chinese. Three are from Hong Kong. Beijing’s furious. They say the EU is turning protectionist while blaming China for overproducing cheap goods. Chinese officials say this isn’t fair and accuse Europe of using trade rules to punish allies of Russia.

Behind the diplomacy, the political drama between Beijing and Moscow is growing. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have been putting on a show of friendship for years.

Xi has called Putin a “best friend,” and the two often stand side by side at global events. On Red Square, during Russia’s Victory Day parade, they marched their troops together. Xi even sat at Putin’s right, symbolically a place of trust and power.

This wasn’t just a photo-op. It was Xi’s 11th visit to Russia since he became president in 2013. They’ve met over 40 times. Putin is already planning another trip to China this fall. The two love to hug each other, something rare for global strongmen.

But it’s not all real. Experts say the relationship is more performance than partnership. “We see a lot of exchanges between the two men and patriotic displays of togetherness,” said Mathieu Boulegue from the Center for European Policy Analysis. He added, “They can be friends on one end and then ripping each other apart on others.”