Russia’s foreign minister said Sunday that "aggressive steps" by the United States are threatening Moscow’s national security.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state television that there has been a "fundamental change" in circumstances resulting in the existence of an "aggressive Russophobia" in the United States that poses a threat to Moscow’s national interests, Reuters reported.
The statements, which are likely to further strain relations between the two nations, were made days after the U.S. government formally accused Russia of attempting to interfere with the 2016 presidential election by hacking into systems used by the Democratic National Committee and other U.S. political organizations. Tensions between the U.S. and Russia have also run high over the conflict in Syria, which has deteriorated significantly in the wake of another failed ceasefire agreement.
"We have witnessed a fundamental change of circumstances when it comes to the aggressive Russophobia that now lies at the heart of U.S. policy towards Russia," Lavrov said during the interview Sunday.
"It’s not just a rhetorical Russophobia, but aggressive steps that really hurt our national interests and pose a threat to our security," he stated.
Lavrov referred to several actions by the U.S. that he claimed have led to mistrust between the two nations, including NATO’s decision to bolster its military presence near Russia’s borders. Moscow has repeatedly criticized NATO for agreeing to deploy four rotational battalions to the Baltic states and Poland earlier this year in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
After the Obama administration accused Moscow of a hacking campaign to influence the election last week, Russia moved nuclear-capable missiles to Kaliningrad, its small military enclave between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
Lavrov also said Sunday he was aware that some in Washington are suggesting that President Obama allow for the bombing of airfields belonging to Bashar al Assad’s government forces in Syria to ground their planes, warning against such a decision and calling it "dangerous."
"This is a very dangerous game given that Russia, being in Syria at the invitation of the legitimate government of this country and having two bases there, has got air defense systems there to protect its assets," Lavrov said.
The U.S. suspended communications with Russia regarding Syria last week, as Russian and Syrian government forces heavily bombed rebel-held areas of Aleppo, killing civilians. The Obama administration has reportedly been once again considering targeting Assad’s government forces with strikes.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry indicated that Russia would shoot down U.S.-led coalition jets that target Syrian military forces in Syria. Moscow announced that it had deployed more advanced missile systems to Syria last week, after communications between Washington and Moscow were halted.
Russia also suspended a nuclear pact with the U.S. to clean up weapons-grade plutonium last week, which Lavrov said was a result of a "fundamental change of circumstances."
Moscow has repeatedly denied being involved in the DNC hack revealed earlier this year, despite reports increasingly indicating that Russian actors were behind the cyber attack.