Russia doesn’t want conflict with Ukraine but Western powers must provide Moscow with “unconditional security guarantees”, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Speaking at his annual news conference, Mr Putin said the US has missiles at “Russia’s doorstep” and the “ball is in the West’s court” in relation to security in the region.
The conference comes as Western powers fear Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine as early as the beginning of next year, which President Putin has again denied.
The Russian leader has welcomed talks with the US that are set to start in Geneva next month, but warned the discussions about Moscow’s demands need to produce quick results.
“We want to ensure our security,” Mr Putin said. “We put it straight: there must be no further expansion of NATO eastward.”
Asked by Sky’s Moscow correspondent Diana Magnay whether he can guarantee Russia won’t invade Ukraine or any other sovereign country, or whether this depends on the negotiations, Mr Putin said: “Our actions will depend not on the negotiation process but on the unconditional security of Russia. Today and towards the historical perspective.
“In this sense we have made it clear that any further NATO movement to the East is unacceptable, there is nothing unclear about this.
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“We are not deploying our missiles over at the border of the US. On the other hand, the US is deploying its missiles close to our home, on the doorstep of our house.”
Putin says NATO ‘fooled’ Russia and keeps expanding
The Russian president continued: “What would the Americans think if we decided to come to the border between Canada and the United States, or Mexico, and simply deploy our own missiles over there?”
Mr Putin later said that NATO had “fooled” Russia by saying it would not expand eastwards across Europe in an agreement made in 1990.
He said since then the alliance had carried out “five waves of expansion” that went against that guarantee.
Waving his finger, Mr Putin said: “And you keep demanding some guarantees from us. You must give us the guarantees. It is up to you, and you must do this immediately, right now, instead of talking about this for decades.
“Using this small talk, soft talk, about the need for guarantees of the security for everyone. We are not threatening anybody.”
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Last week, Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and roll back the alliance’s military deployments in central and Eastern Europe.
A key principle of the NATO alliance is that membership is open to any qualifying country. The US and its allies have said they will not give Russia the kind of guarantee on Ukraine that Mr Putin wants.
Moscow presented its demand amid soaring tensions over a Russian troop build-up near Ukraine that has stoked fears of a possible invasion. US President Joe Biden warned Mr Putin in a conference call earlier this month that Russia will face “severe consequences” if it attacks Ukraine.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of the UK’s military, spoke with his Russian counterpart today amid the tensions.
The Ministry of Defence said the two military leaders discussed regional security issues and the importance of maintaining communications to understand each other’s intentions and avoid miscalculation.
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Asked by Diana Magnay what he thinks the West doesn’t understand about Russia, Mr Putin replied: “Sometimes it seems to me that we live in two different worlds.
“You say you will not expand and then you keep expanding. You say we will have equal guarantees for everyone on a number of international agreements, and then we see there is no equality or no equal security.”
Mr Putin went on to say that in the 1990s, the Soviet Union did everything it could to build good relations with the United States and the West.
He added that CIA advisers were able to visit Russian military nuclear sites.
Mr Putin continued: “What else did you need? Why did you have to support the terrorists in the North Caucasus and use the terrorist organisations to reach your goals and break down the Russian federation?
“This is exactly what you were doing, and as a former director of the FSB I know that.”
It is unusual for Vladimir Putin to appear so animated. You might say he lost his cool. The question certainly got under his skin. But it also allowed him passionately to present his side of the argument over Ukraine.
He was asked to guarantee unconditionally if he would not invade Ukraine or any other country. He pointedly failed to do so.
“Our actions will not depend on negotiations they will depend on the unconditional compliance with the Russian security demands.
“We have made it clear that any further movement to the east is unacceptable.”
Vladimir Putin wants a guarantee Ukraine will not be granted membership of NATO.
Today he cited a promise by then US Secretary of State James Baker to Mikhail Gorbachav in 1990 about NATO expansion.
“You are well aware that we said not an inch to the east. That was a NATO guarantee. We have seen five waves of NATO expansion.”
NATO has made it clear any country has a sovereign right to join. The gulf between that position and Vladimir Putin’s is where lies the possibility of escalation and conflict.
Putin says Russia is not preparing to invade Ukraine
The conference comes a day after Mr Putin threatened a “military-technical response” if Western countries continue with what he calls “unfriendly” actions over Ukraine.
Concerns are growing that Russia is planning to invade its neighbour with thousands of troops gathering near the border.
Russia has denied it is preparing a military advance.
