OREANDA-NEWS  Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a large press conference on the results of 2018. The Minister answered questions from media representatives about Russia's relations with the US and NATO, the dispute over the Kurils, the situation with the detention of Russians abroad, as well as the crisis in Ukraine and Syria.

The "rule-based order" promoted by the West implies opportunistic solutions to world problems and pressure on undesirable countries, the foreign Minister said. He specified that in 2018 the situation in the world remained difficult, the conflict potential was growing. Lavrov urged Western countries to abandon attempts to unfair competition through sanctions.

The Foreign Minister called the requirements to transfer the South Kuril Islands to Japan contradicting the country's obligations under the UN Charter, one of the articles of which States that the results of the Second World War are unshakable. According to him, Moscow and Tokyo have much to do in order to become true partners in the international arena.

Lavrov pointed to the illegality of attempts by the US Congress to prevent US President Donald Trump to conduct foreign policy. He noted that it is "just hard to comment on what is happening in the United States around President Trump's accusations that he is a Russian agent."

The Minister noted that the investigation of special Prosecutor Robert Mueller about the alleged collusion between the American Leader and the Russian authorities did not reveal any facts in support of this version.

Consultations in Geneva on the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles confirmed the us policy of scrapping the instruments of strategic stability, the foreign Minister said. He stressed that Moscow is ready to continue working to save the INF Treaty.

According to Lavrov, Russia also expects that the United States does not plan to withdraw from the Treaty on measures to further reduce and limit strategic offensive arms. 

The Minister also expressed hope that the US manner of creating additional tension in different parts of the world will not be manifested in the Arctic.

In addition, Moscow is ready to cooperate with Brussels and London, regardless of how the UK will end the exit from the EU, Lavrov said.

According to him, Russia will continue to respond adequately to the increased activity of NATO and the approach of the military infrastructure of the Alliance to the Russian borders. At the same time, he noted that Moscow "is still interested in restoring normal relations with the US and the European Union on the principles of equality and mutual consideration of interests."