‘No further expansion of NATO eastward’, warns Russian President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 23 urged the West to act promptly and offer security guarantees by ensuring there is no further expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) eastward.

Speaking at a marathon annual news conference in Moscow, the Russian President reiterated his demand against NATO’s expansion to Ukraine and deployment of weapons in the neighbouring country.

Vladimir Putin welcomed its upcoming diplomatic talks with the United States in Geneva next month but sought security guarantees that require the West to meet its demands promptly.

He said: “We want to ensure our security. We put it straight: ‘There must be no further expansion of NATO eastward.’”

“What is unclear here? Are we putting missiles next to the United States' borders? No, it is the United States that has come to us with their missiles, they are already on our doorstep.”

“Russia cannot keep living in constant anticipation of looming security threats posed by the possible deployment of Western weapons in Ukraine.”

Putin further said that western weapons may encourage hawkish forces in Ukraine to attempt to regain control over Russia-backed separatist regions by force and even try to reclaim Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

He added: “The course of negotiations is not important to us; the result is important... ‘Not one inch to the East,’ they told us in the 90s. So what? They cheated, just brazenly tricked us! Five waves of NATO expansion and now already, please, the systems are appearing in Romania and Poland.”

Last week, Russia had submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and any other country that was formerly a part of the Soviet Union and also roll back its military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. Moscow’s demands come even though the alliance has always maintained a policy of granting membership to any qualifying country.

As per media reports, the United States and its allies have already asserted that Russia cannot be given the kind of guarantee it is seeking on Ukraine and US officials are currently conferring with the European allies to find a resolution ahead of the Geneva talks.

Russia has placed its demands against granting Ukraine NATO membership amid soaring tensions with the neighbours over Russian troop build-up along the border that has stoked invasion fears. United States President Joe Biden has already warned Vladimir Putin that Russia will face severe consequences if it attacks Ukraine. Putin, however, has denied harbouring any such plans.

(With inputs from agencies)