Lavrov says US defense chief's remarks on confrontation with Russia 'Freudian slip'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Friday US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's remarks on possible confrontation if Ukraine fails in the war with Moscow a "Freudian slip of tongue."

"It is a like a Freudian slip of tongue, so, he's saying what they were thinking," Lavrov said at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye.

"Before that everyone said that we cannot allow Ukraine to lose, because Putin wouldn't stop at that and would invade Poland, Finland … and now we hear someone openly saying, Secretary Austin openly saying that we do not have these plans, so it's the other way round and Americans have those plans, because they feel how Europeans is drifting away from them."

The Russian minister said Europe is the main victim of the policy of trying to drag Ukraine into NATO.

Speaking at a House Armed Services Committee hearing to discuss his recent hospitalization, Austin said if Ukraine falls, Russia and NATO could come into a direct military conflict.

"Quite frankly, if Ukraine falls, I really believe that NATO will be in a fight with Russia," Austin said.