MOSCOW (Sputnik) — He stated that Russia and the West have no ideological differences but are bound by the common democratic principles of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
"I do not see any prerequisites for a 'second edition' of the Cold War to become a reality," Lavrov told Moscow State Institute of International Relations students, adding that modern times and the Cold War are radically different.
In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia over Crimea's secession from Ukraine and Moscow's alleged meddling in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations, and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability.