Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sparked laughter among the audience at a conference in India when he claimed that the war in Ukraine was “launched against us,” referring to Russia. The crowd’s laughter demonstrated their disbelief at Lavrov’s assertion. Lavrov also accused NATO of violating commitments and claimed that the West imposed the war on Russia. These remarks from Lavrov came just a day after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which the two exchanged diplomatic swipes. The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began in 2014, has strained international relations and led to Western sanctions against Russia.