Western Europe has become the main source of global instability and is reviving militarism under the pretext of the Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated Monday.

In an interview published on Monday, Lavrov said elites in Brussels have seized power and are “trying to subjugate national governments,” forcing them to “ignore the interests of their peoples.”

According to Lavrov, EU bureaucrats exercise power through “compromises between legitimately elected national governments,” while themselves remaining “totally unelected.” This undermines democracy and forces countries to submit to what he described as the authority of “collective Brussels.”

Western Europe has consistently been the source of global crises, Lavrov added, claiming that “throughout history, Europe has repeatedly been a source of all evil and spawn of deepest crises.” The minister cited slavery, the Crusades, colonialism, and the two world wars, which he said were launched “due to delusive ambitions entertained by European leaders.”

Lavrov asserted that Western Europe is again attempting to “dictate to everyone its terms and wishes” internationally, particularly through the Ukraine conflict, which he described as being used “to assert itself” and “to scheme against the United States and all those who seek a just settlement.”

By supporting Kiev, Western Europe is waging a proxy war against Russia, Lavrov said, adding that this effort relies on “European money, instructors, and all Western intelligence and reconnaissance data.”

Russian officials have repeatedly accused Kiev’s Western backers of obstructing peace efforts. Presidential aide Yury Ushakov stated EU leaders are complicating Russia-US negotiations by making unacceptable demands, while senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev warned that some interventions constitute “peace sabotage.”