A number of European countries, including NATO members, who would like to ask Russia for help amid the coronavirus pandemic are not allowed to do so by their patrons, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.

“We know from various sources that a number of countries in Europe, the European Union and also NATO that would not mind following the Italian experience and turning to us for certain types of assistance in which we have a good comparative advantage are simply not allowed to do so by their senior comrades”, Lavrov told Russia’s Channel One.

According to the minister, some countries are thereby trying to drag geopolitics even in the fight against the disease.

“We all know the situation around the assistance that Russia is providing to Italy at the direct request of Prime Minister [Giuseppe Conte]. Some media outlets in Italy, without respite, are trying to portray it as almost a military invasion of the territory of the North Atlantic alliance”, he added.

Lavrov noted that a grand football club in Europe had to revoke its request for assistance from a Russian non-governmental organisation that is helping with medical supplies amid the pandemic after being discouraged from receiving Russian help.