Lavrov says 'life will force' the EU to join the dialogue on Eurasian security

At the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, Sergey Lavrov expressed confidence that European Union countries would sooner or later be forced to take part in discussions on security in Eurasia. He also assessed the OSCE as an organization in crisis, seeing no way to save it in the foreseeable future.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 3 November 2026 at 20:382 min read

The key facts

Speaking at the conference in Minsk, Lavrov said that 'life will force' the EU to start a dialogue on security in Eurasia
He called building a cooperation system a long-term goal, but expressed confidence in gradual progress toward it
Earlier the same day, the minister said he sees no way to save the OSCE in the foreseeable future

Statement in Minsk

On November 3, at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov on the sidelines of the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that European Union countries would sooner or later be forced to join discussions on security issues in Eurasia. “Life will force them to,” Life.ru quotes him as saying.

What is being proposed and how the prospects are assessed

According to the minister, cooperation could include the joint use of transport routes and natural resources, as well as the coordination of regional associations' activities — such an approach, in his view, would help avoid duplication of projects and distribute tasks among countries more effectively. At the same time, Lavrov acknowledged that building such a system remains a long-term goal, but expressed confidence in the possibility of gradual progress toward it.

Context: assessment of the OSCE

The same day, speaking in Minsk, Lavrov spoke of a crisis in the OSCE: in his assessment, the organization has turned into a platform for mutual accusations, and he sees no way to save it in the foreseeable future. At the same time, as Life.ru notes, Moscow continues to advocate building a new security system that takes into account the interests of the states of Eurasia. Thus, the minister's two statements in one day are linked by a common logic: a skeptical assessment of existing structures is accompanied by a bet on a new Eurasian format, participation in which he predicts for European states as well.