On Monday, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister warned that Moscow would respond militarily if the United States and NATO did not abide by security guarantees to prevent NATO from approaching the Russian border.
“The lack of progress in a political-diplomatic solution to this problem will lead to a military, technical and military response,” Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview published on Tuesday in the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
The Deputy Foreign Minister had already expressed the same position as the Kremlin (the Russian presidency) regarding the possible installation of short and medium-range missiles in Europe. The presence of the weapons could lead to a “confrontation”, Ryabkov said.
“Currently we do not have (short and medium-range missiles). In our country there is a unilateral moratorium and we call on the United States of America (US) and NATO to join this moratorium,” Ryabkov said. And Brussels does not respond to Russian proposals.
He added that NATO members “behave as they like and do not want to take into account the interests related to our security.”
According to the Russian Deputy Minister, the recent statements of NATO about the lack of intention to deploy short and medium-range missiles, equipped with nuclear charges, are not convincing for Moscow.
“First of all, we have no confidence in NATO as an alliance. We often encounter the same situation: ‘Today they say one thing, the day after tomorrow another and in a year something third.’ “The most natural thing. in the world.”
Last November, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Foreign Ministry was tasked with “obtaining long-term security guarantees for Russia”.
Putin declared that “these guarantees” are necessary to avoid “conflict.”
According to the head of the Russian state, one of the “red lines” that the West should not cross is the eastward expansion of NATO, in particular in Ukraine.
The same position was conveyed by Putin to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, through the video conference held on December 7.
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