Lavrov If Europe attacks Russia, the war will be very short

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that if Europe attacked Russia, the war would be completely different and very short-lived.

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Speaking at the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg, Lavrov said Russian officials had repeatedly stressed that Moscow had no intention of invading Europe and had no interest in doing so.

"Russia has repeatedly stated that it will not attack Western countries and has no interest in doing so. However, if Europe, which continues to talk about preparing for war against Russia, attacks, it will be a completely different war and will be very short," he stressed.

Lavrov said confrontation is not Russia's method. He said this position has been repeatedly conveyed by Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin himself.

"The West has long chosen to contain Russia," he said, referring to what he called NATO's "forceful" expansion toward Russia's borders.

The minister also criticized European leaders' statements about the need to prepare for war with Russia. He said the issue has become a major topic among European political leaders currently in Brussels.