The hostilities in Ukraine confirm the US-led West's fixation on goading other countries into a military confrontation with Moscow and Beijing, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday at the current summit of defense ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) member states.
"Today, Washington and its accomplices are carrying out their strategic plan, which consists of provoking other countries into a military confrontation with ... primarily with Russia and China. A clear confirmation of this criminal policy is the conflict in Ukraine. Its true goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China and maintain its monopoly position in the world," Shoigu explained.
The United States seeks to reformat the system of international relations by creating controlled regional alliances, using blackmail and threats, the minister emphasized.
On Ukraine Conflict
The West's real aim in the Ukraine conflict is to strategically defeat Russia, threaten China and maintain a monopoly position in the world, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
The combat capabilities of almost all the countries of the North Atlantic military bloc have been deployed against Russia since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the defense chief said.
"The West demonstrated its preparation in advance for a confrontation with the Russian Federation. Sweeping sanctions were immediately imposed against Russia, arms deliveries to Ukraine, intelligence support, military advisers and mercenaries were organized," Shoigu noted.
The West’s efforts to sway Moscow's partners to isolate Russia and discredit its leadership are failing, the defense minister said.
"Against the backdrop of the special military operation, attempts to influence Russia's partners into isolating it (Moscow) are continuing. A massive information campaign has been launched to discredit the Russian leadership and its policies. An unwavering eagerness to ramp up across-the-board pressure is being demonstrated, regardless of the current damage to their economic and political interests," Shoigu stressed.
On US Biolabs
The Pentagon's bioweapons programs in Ukraine are aimed at developing biological weapons components, Shoigu pointed out, putting the spotlight on US activities, still in progress, to transfer the most dangerous research to third countries.
"In the instance of Ukraine, we see the dual purpose of these programs and their actual focus on developing biological weapons components, which is in direct violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention," the minister added.
On Growing Militarization of Asia-Pacific Region
According to Shoigu, Washington and its allies are zealously opposing the formation of a multipolar world in the Asia-Pacific region.
"The West's opposition to strengthening multipolarity is most active in the Asia-Pacific region, where the US has initiated the breakdown of the existing ASEAN-based system of regional cooperation," Shoigu stressed.
He said this started with the creation of politico-military blocs such as QUAD and AUKUS.
Russia is beefing up the combat readiness of its bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan amid efforts by the United States and its allies to restore its military presence in Central Asia, Shoigu said.
"For our part, we are increasing the combat readiness of Russian military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as other response forces to possible challenges," Shoigu said.
Under the pretext of aiding the fight against terrorism, the United States and its allies are trying to restore their military presence in Central Asia, the minister said, adding that Moscow sees their requests to countries in the region to deploy military infrastructure as "a direct threat to stability in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's zone."