Russia says does not want war with Germany, but cannot allow harm to territory

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia does not want a war with Germany, but also cannot allow execution of plans against its territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, referring to leaked recording of German officers discussing delivery of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine and their potential use to destroy the Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea to Russia.

"We don't want a war, we don't want to blow up anything, we don't want anyone plotting to blow up something in our territory, we won't turn a blind eye to it," Peskov said at the Knowledge Marathon conference in the resort city of Sochi.

Separately, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing that German Ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff, summoned to the Foreign Ministry over the incident, neither denied nor doubted the recording's authenticity.

Conversations among German Air Force officers about supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine were leaked last week. The discussions included potential strategies such as providing satellite intelligence through third parties to avoid direct German involvement.

Turning to refusal by EU ambassadors to meet Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Zakharova questioned the purpose of their presence in Russia, noting that they are often seen at opposition rallies while refusing to meet the official responsible for diplomatic ties.

"What are they doing in our country at all, then? I think that conclusions will be drawn, and I have no doubt that they have absolutely discredited themselves inside our country and abroad," she stressed.

Ambassadors of EU countries are said to have refused Lavrov's invitation to a traditional meeting with the foreign minister, organized to address the current state of affairs in relations.