The situation in relations between Russia and the European Union (EU) remains alarming, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"The situation remains rather alarming. Our common European continent is experiencing an unprecedented crisis of trust. Division lines are emerging in Europe again. They are moving eastwards and get deeper, as if they were frontline trenches," Lavrov said at the opening of a conference on Russia-EU relations, according to the TASS news agency. 

In his speech, the diplomat emphasized that Russia is ready for interaction with the EU on an equal footing.

"This does not mean that we will close our eyes to the new unfriendly steps, or the attempts to talk from a position of strength, or the meddling in [our] internal affairs," Lavrov further explained.

"Such steps are being prepared, and they are being talked about openly, but a response will definitely follow," he warned.

(Cover image: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits Azerbaijan on May 10, 2021. /CFP)