Lavrov blamed Washington for cutting off direct military-to-military communication between Russia and NATO after the crisis in Ukraine last year. Such contacts were „important for the avoidance of undesired, unintended incidents“, Lavrov said.

„We are always in favor of military people talking to each other in a professional way. They understand each other very well,“ Lavrov said. „If, as (U.S. Secretary of State) John Kerry has said many times, the United States wants those channels frozen, then be our guest.“