MOSCOW/KYIV -- Russia will respond with all available means in the event of an attack by Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the NTV channel on Sunday.

"If Europe implements its threats to prepare for war against us and starts attacking the Russian Federation, the president has said it will not be a special military operation on our part. It will be a full-fledged military response using all the means at our disposal in accordance with doctrinal documents on this matter," Lavrov noted.

Russia is committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, Lavrov said during an annual press conference on Jan. 20, adding that Western countries had taken deliberate steps to undermine the efforts to reach peace agreements.

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Leaders from Britain, France and Germany showed no interest in resolving the Ukraine crisis and were unwilling to reach peace agreements about it, he said, adding that statements from European figures made it clear that they were seriously preparing for a war with Russia.  

US maintains sanctions on Russia 

Despite expressing willingness to cooperate with Russia, Washington has not lifted any sanctions imposed on the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

Although the administration of US President Donald Trump has made various remarks on the need to end the conflict with Ukraine, bring mutually beneficial investment and embark on other cooperative projects with Russia, it has not challenged any of the laws adopted to "punish" Russia, said Lavrov.

He cited the fact that Washington imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, late last year, and violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by waging a "war" against oil tankers on the high seas, pressuring Russia's trade partners to switch to expensive US liquefied natural gas.

The US efforts to dominate the energy sector and restrict its competitors have become particularly open and evident, Lavrov noted.

Though Russia remains open to cooperation with all other countries, including the United States, Washington has deliberately created obstacles everywhere, he said.

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New centers of rapid economic growth are emerging around the world, said Lavrov, adding that Russia has been seeking safer ways to cooperate with BRICS countries in financial, economic, logistics and other fields.

Russia to resume direct flights with US if sanctions lifted

Russia is ready to resume direct air services with the United States on the condition that restrictions on Russian airlines are lifted, the Federal Air Transport Agency said on Monday.

Russia is generally prepared to resume direct flights between the two countries, said Dmitry Yadrov, head of the agency, in an interview with Russia-24 television channel.

He noted that the return of direct flights will come after the removal of limitations imposed on Russian carriers, and on the guarantee that Russian airplanes arriving in the United States will be free of risks such as detention.

Following the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the United States closed its airspace to Russian aircraft as part of a series of sanctions against Moscow. In response, Russia imposed similar restrictions on the United States.  

Zelensky: Russian energy infrastructure legitimate target 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Russian energy infrastructure is "a legitimate target" for Ukrainian strikes because the energy sector provides funds for Russian weapon procurement.

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"We do not have to choose whether we strike a military target or energy ... it's the same thing," said Zelensky on X. "We either build weapons and strike their weapons. Or we strike the source where their money is generated and multiplied."

Russia reported on Friday that overnight Ukrainian drone strikes caused extensive damage to the energy infrastructure in its border region of Belgorod, leading to power outages. According to the governor of Belgorod, Belgorod city and five surrounding districts were affected.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Russian forces carried out "a massive attack" on Ukraine's energy facilities overnight on Saturday.

These strikes were launched just days after the second round of the US-brokered peace talks between Russia and Ukraine was held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which yielded no breakthrough as both sides insisted on opposing demands.

Zelensky criticized Russia's attacks on energy infrastructure, accusing Moscow of choosing strikes rather than "real diplomacy," and urged those supporting the trilateral talks to respond.

Russia also blamed Ukraine for undermining the peace process, saying on Monday that Ukrainian intelligence services were involved in Friday's assassination attempt on a senior general of Russia's military intelligence agency. According to Russia's Federal Security Service, two suspects had been detained and confessed to having links with Ukraine, while a third one had fled to Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Sunday called the assassination attempt part of a hybrid war, stressing that such actions were aimed at preventing contacts and disrupting the next round of talks.

However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Friday that Kyiv had nothing to do with the incident, describing it as an internal Russian affair.