Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday (December 23) that Russia hopes to avoid conflicts with Ukraine and the West, and demanded that the United States and its allies “immediately” respond to Moscow’s demands for security.
When asked about the possibility of conflict with Ukraine, Putin said at the annual press conference: “This is not our (preferred) choice. We don’t want it.”
He said Russia’s initial response to its security proposal submitted to the United States this month was generally positive, and negotiations will begin in Geneva early next year.
“I hope that the development of the situation will follow this path,” he said.
In another answer, Putin became more excited when he recalled how NATO had “deceived” Russia through continuous waves of expansion since the Cold War, and said that Moscow desperately needed an answer.
“You must give us a guarantee, and immediately—now.”
Russia rejected the allegations by Ukraine and the United States that Russia may prepare to invade Ukraine by tens of thousands of Russian troops preparing to be within the border as early as next month.
It said it needs Western commitments–including a promise not to conduct NATO military activities in Eastern Europe–because Ukraine’s growing relationship with Western alliances and the possibility of NATO’s deployment of missiles on Ukrainian territory threaten its security.
“We just directly raised the question that NATO should not move further east. The ball is on their court and they should answer some of our questions,” Putin said.
The Russian president also argued that Ukraine was a man-made country created by Lenin in the 1920s and that Russia was forced to annex Crimea because of what he called a Ukrainian coup.
He said that as the former head of the Russian Federal Security Service, he received reports from Russian double agents who told him that the West plans to help terrorists in the North Caucasus to destabilize and destabilize Russia.
Putin also stated that even if Ukraine will not be dragged into NATO, there are plans to establish military bases and offensive weapon systems there on a bilateral basis.
(Editing by Georgi Getoff)
