Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the United Nations that his country has no intention of attacking Europe but will retaliate strongly if provoked. While tensions rise with NATO, Lavrov also adopted a noticeably measured tone toward the United States.

Lavrov alleges that Ukraine is the only country to ban a language spoken by half its citizens, sparking questions about linguistic policies. Few details are currently available, with the promise of more information to come.