The Russian foreign minister has accused Western politicians of sacrificing their citizens\u2019 welfare in pursuit of defeating Moscow in Ukraine<\/p>\n
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has branded European leaders \u201cpolitical masochists,\u201d accusing them of sacrificing their own citizens\u2019 welfare in pursuit of Russia\u2019s defeat in Ukraine.
\nSpeaking to editors-in-chief of African media outlets in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov accused Western governments of pressuring their populations to accept declining living standards to secure Ukraine\u2019s victory in conflict with Russia.
\n\u201cThey are trying to keep public opinion in a position where people must sacrifice everything: salaries, jobs, healthcare services and social benefits in general, so that Ukraine defeats Russia,\u201d Lavrov said. \u201cPeople can feel how their situation is deteriorating in European countries,\u201d he added.
\nHe singled out German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as one of the politicians advocating such an approach. \u201cThese are masochists, political masochists, if you like,\u201d the foreign minister said.
\nMerz has defended Germany\u2019s growing military spending and continued support for Kiev while warning that the country can no longer afford its existing welfare system.
\nThe German government has tightened welfare rules, introducing benefit reductions of 30% for repeated violations and, in some cases, complete withdrawal. Berlin\u2019s proposed 2027 budget also envisages billions of euros in savings from pensions, healthcare and other social programs.
\nGermany has meanwhile earmarked \u20ac11.6 billion for Ukraine in 2027, alongside plans to raise defense spending to record levels.<\/p>\n
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Britain, another major backer of Kiev, has also reduced welfare payments, nearly halving health-related benefits for most new claimants under Universal Credit, a program supporting low-income households and people unable to work.
\nIn September, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for further welfare cuts to fund increased military spending. \u201cWe need to fund our defence, not spend all our money on welfare,\u201d she said. The government, however, rejected her proposal.
\nFrance has likewise pursued spending restraint, including a proposed public-sector pay freeze, while increasing military expenditure. The measures have faced opposition from trade unions protesting declining purchasing power and deteriorating public services.
\nPublic discontent has fueled widespread protests across Europe in recent weeks, with hundreds of thousands demonstrating in France over rising living costs, education funding and inequality. Tens of thousands have also taken to the streets in Spain and Portugal over soaring housing costs, while Italy has seen protests over declining living standards.
\nEuropean NATO members have committed to substantially increasing defense expenditure, citing the perceived threat from Russia.<\/p>\n
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Russian President Vladimir Putin last week rejected repeated claims that Moscow was preparing for war with Europe, describing them as part of an ongoing \u201canti-Russian campaign\u201d on the continent. \u201cThey now go so far as to constantly speak of a \u2018Russian threat\u2019 and even discuss preparations for a war with Russia \u2013 which, in my view, amounts to a kind of political schizophrenia. But I hope that it will pass,\u201d Putin stated.
\nMoscow has repeatedly dismissed claims that it intends to attack NATO countries as \u201cnonsense,\u201d accusing Western leaders of using the alleged Russian threat to justify militarization and continued support for Kiev.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Russian foreign minister has accused Western politicians of sacrificing their citizens\u2019 welfare in pursuit of defeating Moscow in Ukraine Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has branded European leaders \u201cpolitical…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40650,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t