"West Has Declared War On Us": Russia Foreign Minister On Sanctions

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Washington "and its satellites are doubling, tripling, quadrupling their efforts to contain our country".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday accused Western countries of waging a "total war" on Russia and its people and culture as Moscow pushes on with its military operation in Ukraine.

"The West has declared war on us, on the whole Russian world. The culture of cancelling Russia and everything connected with our country is already reaching the point of absurdity," Lavrov said at a ministry meeting.

He accused the West of banning Russian writers, composers and other cultural figures.

"It is safe to say that this situation will be with us for a long time," he added.