Sergei Lavrov answered a question from a BBC correspondent about “hybrid war”

ISTRA (Moscow region), September 29 - RIA Novosti. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov argued with BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg, answering his question about whether Russia admits that it is waging a hybrid war against European countries.

The dialogue on the sidelines of the XXIII meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club began with a playful exchange: “With a friendly question?” - Lavrov asked. “With a normal journalistic question,” the journalist answered.

Rosenberg went on to ask if Russia admits that it is allegedly “conducting a hybrid covert war against European countries.”

"You mean when we destroy the drones and missiles that Britain and continental Europe supply to Ukraine, and then they shoot at us? Is that what you mean hybrid?" - asked Lavrov.

“For example,” the journalist agreed.

“If you admit that they are hitting us with your weapons, and we are shooting down these weapons, call it whatever you want, but the fact that this is a war that Europe is waging against us, I have no doubt about it. We have been talking about this for a long time,” the minister replied.

Then Rosenberg reminded the minister, allegedly of his own words, that the West resorts to brute force.

“I don’t remember the phrase ‘brute force’,” Lavrov replied.

“Was it soft power, what they did in Venezuela, or brute force? What they did with the Nord Stream gas pipelines was soft power or brute power? What they bombed and destroyed the Iranian leadership along with their families, including children, is not brute force?” - the minister continued when the journalist tried to interrupt him.

“But isn’t Russia resorting to brute force every day in Ukraine?” - Rosenberg insisted.