Amid rising tension between Russia, Ukraine, and the west, Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused the United States and NATO of ignoring Russia’s central security demand of permanently blocking Ukraine from the alliance.
Speaking to French President Emmanuel Macron via telephone on Friday, Putin said the written responses to Moscow’s proposals for a redrawing of post-Cold War security arrangements had not taken into account “fundamental concerns including preventing NATO’s expansion, refusing to deploy strike weapons systems near Russia’s borders and returning NATO “military capabilities and infrastructure” to how they were before former Warsaw Pact states in eastern Europe joined.
The United States and NATO have made clear some of Russia’s demands are non-starters but have also left the door open to dialogue
He added Russia would “carefully study” the responses “after which it will decide on further actions”.
An official of the French presidency said Putin had underlined that he did not want the situation to escalate, echoing conciliatory comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said Moscow did not want war.
Earlier, Lavrov restated that Russia did not want a war with Ukraine, an apparent reply to Washington’s warning that a February invasion was possible.
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