'US trying to fracture regional security for global hegemony,' says Russia's Defence Min

Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu has said that US is trying to dismantle regional security architecture for "global hegemony." Shoigu alleged that  US is attempting to enforce a 'global hegemony' by creating politico-military blocs like QU and AUKUS. He me remarks at meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers' Meeting on August 24. 

"Washington is attempting to fracture regional security architecture to ensure global hegemony. He noted, politico-military blocs are being created, such as QU and AUKUS. Countries in region are engaged in cooperation with NATO. A front is formed to deter China," Sergey Shoigu said. 

Shoigu alleged that countries are being drawn into cooperation with NATO and a front is being established to "deter China," according to statement released by Russian Defence Ministry. He said that Russia is "concerned" over situation in Souast Asia and ded that, "re is also a complex set of complex interstate contrictions and hotbeds of tension with a hard-to-predict scenario of events." 

Russian Defence Minister also called for joint efforts of all nations for ensuring security in Souast Asia region and highlighted role of ASEAN and or multilateral cooperation mechanisms. He underscored that issue regarding Taiwan is "being deliberately aggravated" and territorial disputes in South China Sea and East China Sea are being "fuelled." Moreover, he claimed that US and its allies have been working to "strategically deplete" Russia to remove rivalry and warn or nations who are following ir independent foreign policy. 

Ukraine chosen as 'instrument of hybrid war against Russia': Shoigu

Stressing that Ukraine is selected as an "instrument of hybrid war against Russia", Shoigu ded that Kyiv posed a "real threat" as it did not agree to work on Minsk agreements. Furrmore, he stated that US and its allies continue to provide weapons to Ukraine which causes an increase in number of casualties and prolongs conflict, according to statement released by Russian Defence Ministry.

Documents show that US Defence Department financed more than 30 Ukrainian bio-laboratories, he claimed, ding that research is being conducted with guidance of US specialists. Components of biological weapons were being created and methods to destabilize epidemiological situation were "tested" and called actions a "direct threat to SCO countries," he alleged. 

Notably, SCO Defence Ministers' meeting was attended by ministers of India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus participated in meeting as an SCO observer state. 

Image: AP