Russia Says EU Won't 'Push' It Out Of Central Asia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the European Union of attempting to drive his country out of Central Asia, and said the bloc was failing, in an interview broadcast on November 12. Moscow's sway over a region it considers its sphere of influence has waned since the offensive in Ukraine. "The European Union isn't hiding its intentions to restrain [Russia] in every possible way and push it out of Central Asia and the South Caucasus," Lavrov said, adding that these were "futile" efforts, and that Russia has been "historically present there" and is "not going to disappear." French President Emmanuel Macron visited Kazakhstan last month.