“If he said so, then I note that he urged us to act as a normal country, and not as the United States, because otherwise, we would have to, acting as the United States, bomb the same Iraq, the same Libya, in gross violation of international rights, we would have to allocate millions in the state budget to interfere in the affairs of other countries, as Congress did, instructing the Department of State to spend $ 20 million a year in order to promote democracy in Russia, and we would probably have to support coups, anti-constitutional , ooruzhonnye, as did the United States with its closest allies in February 2014, when the Ukrainian opposition under pressure radicals, neo-Nazis to break the agreement, which was signed by the EU member states ", - Lavrov said.

As the minister noted, it is important to understand that “such is the norm in the understanding of our American colleagues, in particular Mr. Esper.”

He recalled that Esper is the new colleague of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, passing his word to him.

“It's hard to add anything. The only thing I want to say. We’ll probably still be abnormal, ”said Shoigu.

Esper previously stated that it would be nice if Russia “could behave like a more normal country that shares Western values ​​shared by the United States, France and other NATO allies.”

RT led a live broadcast of the press conference.