The harassment of Russian journalists in the US, Europe and Ukraine has reached “a massive scale,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that the harassment of Russian journalists in the US, Europe and Ukraine has reached “a massive scale.” Moscow never wanted to take any measures that would affect journalistic freedoms, but Washington and its allies leave Russia with no choice but to reciprocate, the top Russian diplomat told reporters during a joint press conference with Venezuela’s FM, Carlos Faria.

Russia is interested in ending this “war on journalists,” Lavrov said, adding that the Western nations apparently cannot stop it without “losing face.” Moscow cannot just stand idly by given the pressure its journalists are facing, especially since the persecution has reached a scale “that is impossible to bear any longer,” he argued.

“We initially did not want to give a mirror response that would affect journalists’ rights, but the West has buried the freedom of speech with its own hands,” the Russian FM said.

He did not announce any new measures against any foreign media in Russia, though.

“It was not us who started this war,” Lavrov said, adding that the West “has just gone too far.” The minister accused Western governments of deviating from the norms of international law and instead creating their own rules that allow them to unilaterally decide what is “freedom of information” and what is “propaganda.”