Vladimir Putin says US and Western allies ignored Russia's security demands
February 2, 2022, 7:21 am

Vladimir Putin says US and Western allies ignored Russia's security demands

Vladimir Putin: Image credit Russian Embassy in India Facebook page

The Euronews reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the US had ignored Russia's demands that NATO not expand eastward in his first remarks on rising tensions over Ukraine in more than a month.

But he added that Moscow is still open for more talks with the West on easing tensions over Ukraine.

Putin said the Kremlin was still studying the US and NATO's response to Russia's security demands which included that NATO not expand to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and that it rolls back deployments in Eastern Europe.

He added that the US and its allies violated obligations on the integrity of security made at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

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The Russian leader also argued that while Western allies emphasise every country’s freedom to choose alliances, they neglect the principle of the “indivisibility of security” enshrined in the OSCE documents.

That involves the principle that the security of one nation should not be strengthened at the expense of others.

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The Euronews noted that Putin was speaking after meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Kremlin where they spoke about tensions in Ukraine.

Source: euronews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.