Ukraine crisis: US ignored Russia's security concerns, Putin says
28-01-2022, 18:42

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EPA - Ukrainian troops at a base in the west of the country - the US has warned Russia may invade next month

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his French counterpart that the West has ignored Russia's security concerns, amid fears Russia could invade Ukraine.

The US rejected a key Moscow demand that Nato rule out Ukraine joining the defence alliance - but insisted it was offering Russia a "diplomatic path".

President Joe Biden has warned there is a "distinct possibility" Russia might invade Ukraine next month.

Russia denies it is planning an attack.

But on Friday Mr Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron the stand-off had not been resolved.

"US and Nato responses did not take account of such key Russian concerns as preventing Nato expansion, non-deployment of strike weapons systems near Russian borders, or returning the alliance's military potential and infrastructure in Europe to positions existing in 1997," a Kremlin readout of the call said.

It is Mr Putin's first comment on the crisis after the US rejected Russia's main demand.

Earlier the Kremlin said Mr Putin would study the US proposals but there was "little ground for optimism". However Foreign Minister Lavrov said there were "grains of rationality" in the US response and Russia did not want war.

Shortly after Mr Putin's comments to Mr Macron, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance was ready to increase its presence in eastern Europe to demonstrate its resolve.

Mr Stoltenberg said Russia was deploying thousands of combat-ready troops and missile systems into Belarus, which also borders Ukraine.

Russia last month made wide-ranging security demands from the West, including that:

  • Ukraine should be barred from joining Nato
  • Nato should end military activity in eastern Europe, pulling troops out of Poland and the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
  • The alliance should not deploy missiles in countries near or bordering Russia

BBC

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