In a Tweet posted by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov stated on September 19, 2025 that Russia that the Kremlin “has repeatedly stated that we have never had, do not have, and will never have any plans to attack any #NATO or #EU country.”
The Facts:
2014 — Kremlin denial, then annexation.
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Late March 2014: Russian officials publicly said they didn’t plan to invade Ukraine, even as control of Crimea was being consolidated and support to Donbas separatists began.
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March 2014: Within weeks, Russia completed the annexation of Crimea, contradicting prior “no plans” assurances.
Early 2022 — Kremlin denial, then full-scale invasion.
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Jan. 28, 2022: Lavrov said Russia did not want war with Ukraine.
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Feb. 24, 2022: Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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March 10, 2022: Even after the invasion, Lavrov claimed “we have not invaded Ukraine.”
Narrative Context
The MFA line fits a well-worn pattern used in 2014 and again in 2021–22:
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Deny intent while preparing or already operating covertly (“no plans to invade,” “no war with Ukraine”).
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Invert responsibility by casting moves as defensive or reactive to NATO/Ukraine.
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Create ambiguity with statements that contradict observable facts (“we have not invaded Ukraine” after tanks had crossed the border).
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Retroactive justification after the fact (referendums, “denazification,” “protection” narratives) that rewrites earlier denials.
Bottom line
The MFA tweet recycles a denial script with a decade of precedent. In 2014 and early 2022, similar assurances were prelude to escalation.
Treat it as messaging, not evidence of intent and never trust the Kremlin’s official statements.
