From:
slider@anashram.com
President Vladimir Putin accused Western nations of ignoring key Russian security concerns, following the U.S.′ refusal last week to concede to Moscow’s demands over Ukraine and NATO.
“It’s already clear now ... that fundamental Russian concerns were ignored,” Putin said at a press conference Tuesday, according to a Reuters translation.
Putin said that the U.S. wanted to “contain Russia” and that it was using Ukraine to do that, as he reiterated Russia’s position that any possible membership of Ukraine in NATO would “undermine Russia’s security.”
“Let’s imagine Ukraine is a NATO member and starts these military operations. Are we supposed to go to war with the NATO bloc? Has anyone
given that any thought? Apparently not,” he said, according to Reuters.
Nonetheless, Putin said he hoped dialog over Ukraine would continue and
that a way needed to be found to, as he put it, “protect everyone’s security.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/01/putin-the-west-has-ignored-russian-security-concerns-on-nato-ukraine.html
It’s the first time that Putin has commented publicly about the
geopolitical crisis in weeks, despite a flurry of diplomatic meetings and
calls between Russian and Western officials.
Russia has denied it is planning an invasion, but trust in Russia’s word
has been low ever since it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and
supported pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Political analysts believe that Russia wants to maintain its sphere of influence and power
over former Soviet states and to stop Ukraine’s gravitation toward the
West.
Russia has insisted that it just wants to protect its security interests, particularly in the face of an expanded NATO that has deployed military hardware to eastern Europe. On the build-up of troops along its border
with Ukraine, Putin has previously insisted late last year that Russia has
a right to move its troops wherever it likes within its territory. The
Kremlin has accused the West of stirring up “hysteria” over Ukraine.
Putin’s comments comes after Russia made a series of security proposals to the U.S. in December, including its main demands that NATO does not expand further to the east or admit Ukraine to the military alliance. It would
also like to see NATO rollback its military deployments in eastern Europe.
Putin echoed that position on Tuesday, stating that missile launchers in Romania and Poland, both of whom are NATO members, “are a threat to Russia.”
Last week, the U.S. responded to those demands, refusing to accept
Russia’s key proposals over Ukraine and NATO. Still, it signaled a willingness to continue discussions aimed at calming tensions, and said
there could be room for compromise in some areas potentially.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to speak to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia’s official response to the U.S. remains unknown, at this point, although it has reportedly delivered
a written response to the U.S.
Putin has not publicly commented on Ukraine since Dec. 23, according to
the New York Times, which noted that he had chided a British journalist
who asked, during Putin’s annual news conference, whether he would
guarantee that Russia would not invade Ukraine.
“It was the United States that came with its missiles to our home, to the doorstep of our home,” Putin said.
“And you demand from me some guarantees. You should give us guarantees.
You! And right away, right now.”
### - oh boy, that last statement from putin is really quite concerning?
i mean, look at it!?
“It was the United States that came with its missiles to our home, to the doorstep of our home,” Putin said.
“And you demand from me some guarantees. You should give us guarantees.
You! And right away, right now.”
them's fighting words?
the 'minsk' agreement (normandy format) was the last time there was any
SANE dialogue and a security agreement/balance reached, but now they's
throwing minsk out the window and we're apparently offering russia nada whatsoever, they get no considerations and no reassurances about their
most important security interests!
and we're really 'expecting' them to just... roll over... and do
everything WE want??? (which perforce includes them later potentially
putting up with nato-nukes situated only 350 miles from moscow)
this being the exact 'reverse' of the cuban missile crisis wherein the US
was prepared to actually go to war with russia over it?? the russians are calling it a direct threat to their security!
i.e., if we don't resolve this, and do so quickly: there's gonna be a REAL
war in a minute!
and i ain't just talking about stupid ukraine either!
are we nuts or wot LOL ! :D
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