JOHANNESBURG /South Africa/, August 24. /TASS/: The West’s ambitions to defeat Moscow strategically have forced Russia to carry on with its work on the battlefield, rather than through diplomatic channels, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Thursday.
"They [Westerners] say: 'We must defeat Russia on the battlefield, inflict a strategic defeat on it on the battlefield.' Well, then we will do our work on the battlefield, rather than diplomatically," Lavrov said.
Russia is always open to discussions, but "we are not going to invite anyone to talk when we are met with rude ultimatums, blackmail or threats," he insisted.
