Russia says it will not attack Europe but is building military and sending banned officials to Africa

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia has no plans to attack Europe or NATO, but is prepared to retaliate if struck first. He also discussed work on creating a new security architecture for Eurasia.

Separately, Estonia claims Russia is planning a military buildup to shift power in Europe, and reports indicate Russia is sending diplomats and intelligence officers who were banned from Europe to postings in Africa.