It is NATO countries that should provide security guarantees to Russia "immediately, now," and not the other way around, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at his annual press conference.
Asked by a Sky News reporter what guarantees Moscow could provide about non-aggression against Ukraine or any other sovereign state, the Russian leader said it is not Russia that poses threats to other states. "Did we come there to the borders of the United States or the borders of Great Britain? They came to us. And now they say, 'No, and Ukraine will be in NATO'. So there will be systems there, too," he added.
"You are demanding some kind of guarantees from me. You have to give us guarantees, you - and immediately, now, and not bury it for decades," the head of state pointed out.
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry circulated two Russian draft documents on the provision of legal security guarantees by the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on NATO to start substantive negotiations in order to provide Russia with reliable and long-term security guarantees. He clarified that Moscow needs legal guarantees because its Western colleagues failed to fulfill their verbal commitments.
Press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told the US leader's national security adviser Jake Sullivan that Moscow was ready to begin immediate negotiations on draft documents on security guarantees. Russia will be represented at the consultations by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS