Lavrov called it a mistake for Russia to turn to the West after the collapse of the USSR

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the turn of Russia's foreign policy towards the West after the collapse of the USSR a strategic mistake. He said this on February 4 at the presentation of the Department of Partnership with Africa.

"Unfortunately, the leadership of the Russian Federation after Russia became a sovereign state (already outside the Soviet Union) believed that the doors of 'Western civilization' were open for it, and everything else was irrelevant. This was a strategic mistake," Lavrov said.

According to him, this fact has been recognized at the state level. He also said that this mistake served as a lesson for the current generation of Russian leaders and residents of the country.

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Earlier, on December 4, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the VTB forum "Russia Calling!" that Africa is a reliable partner of Russia. According to the head of state, Africa has good development prospects. Putin added that new tools for the development of Russian-African cooperation will be created in the future, and there are plans to step up efforts.

On the same day, Putin said that Russia will continue to assist Africa in the fight against terrorism and other areas. At the time, he noted that Russia attaches special importance to the development and strengthening of traditionally friendly relations with African partners.

Prior to that, on November 10, Lavrov said that Russia and Africa intend to unlock the potential of cooperation despite the obstacles of the West. According to him, the countries continue to improve business support mechanisms, find effective logistics solutions and use new instruments of mutual settlements.