In a recent interview with Russian state television Rossiya-1 channel, President Vladimir Putin dismissed Western concerns about a potential attack on a NATO member state, calling them “utter nonsense.”
The Russian leader’s comments come amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West. Western nations have expressed growing concern over Russia’s military activities near the borders of NATO member states.
“Claims that Russia is planning to attack a NATO member state are utter nonsense,” Putin said during the interview. “Russia has no such intentions.”
Putin further emphasized that Russia’s military activities are defensive in nature and are a response to NATO’s eastward expansion, which he views as a threat to Russia’s security.
“We are not threatening anyone,” Putin stated. “Our military exercises are conducted within our borders. We are simply responding to the actions of NATO, which is expanding towards our borders.”
When asked whether Russia, which has been waging a war against Ukraine, could potentially also invade a NATO country, Putin accused US President Joe Biden of making warnings like this to distract from his own mistakes in his Russia policy. “Biden himself understood that Russia has no reason, no interest – geopolitically, economically or militarily – to fight with NATO countries,” Putin said.
“We have no territorial claims on each other, no desire to spoil our relations with [the NATO countries],” Putin added. The Russian president, who ordered a full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine almost two years ago, has repeatedly warned NATO against expanding the alliance eastwards to Russia’s borders.
One of the goals of his war against Ukraine is to prevent the former Soviet country from joining the Western defence alliance. Kiev and Western countries, on the other hand, have warned that Putin might next attack the Baltic NATO countries as well as other member states if he is victorious in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on the West to ramp up military support for his country to allow Ukrainian forces to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia and prevent it from ever attacking another country again.
The Russian President’s remarks have drawn mixed reactions from the international community. While some view his comments as an attempt to de-escalate tensions, others see them as a deflection from Russia’s aggressive actions.
NATO officials have yet to respond to Putin’s comments. However, they have previously stated that the alliance’s expansion is not a threat to Russia and that every country has the right to choose its own security arrangements.
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