Russia will no longer engage in “one-sided” games with the West, President Vladimir Putin stated while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit in Minsk, RT reported.
Putin Accuses the West of Betrayal Over NATO Expansion
According to RT, Putin said that Western nations have repeatedly betrayed Russia by not honouring their promises regarding NATO expansion and resolving the Ukraine conflict.
He emphasised that NATO is using alleged Russian “aggressiveness” to justify plans to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of member states’ GDP and bolster military presence in Europe.
“They Are Turning Everything Upside Down,” Says Putin
“They [the West] are turning everything upside down,” Putin said at a press conference on Friday.
“No one is saying a word about how we’ve come up to the Russian special military operation,” he continued, asserting that the Ukraine conflict’s origins date back decades, when Moscow was “blatantly lied to” about NATO’s intentions.
“What followed was one expansion wave after another,” he added.
Ignored Security Concerns and Accusations of Western Support for Anti-Russian Forces
RT further quoted Putin as saying that Russia’s repeated security concerns regarding NATO’s activities were ignored by the West.
“Isn’t it aggressive behavior? That is precisely aggressive behaviour, which the West does not want to pay attention to,” he said.
The Russian President also accused Western nations of supporting separatist and terrorist movements as long as they targeted Russia.
“Everything was good as long as it was against Russia. Haven’t we seen this? They [the West] saw it as well. Yet, they only talk about our aggressiveness,” he said, as per RT.
NATO’s Military Build-Up and Lavrov’s Reaction
Putin’s remarks came just days after the NATO summit in The Hague, where the alliance’s members committed to increasing defence expenditure to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.
NATO’s recent decision to ramp up military spending will not significantly impact Russia’s security, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday, according to a report by Russia Today.
Lavrov Dismisses NATO Threat and Reaffirms Russia’s Goals
Speaking at a press conference, Lavrov dismissed the West’s claim of a Russian threat as unfounded and reiterated Moscow’s openness to peace talks if the core issues behind the Ukraine conflict are addressed.
His remarks came after the NATO summit in The Hague, where member states pledged to increase defence expenditure to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, citing the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.”
US President Donald Trump described the agreement as a “monumental win,” having long urged European allies to contribute more to their defense.
Responding to a question on whether Russia views the NATO buildup as a threat, Lavrov stated, “I don’t think it will have any significant effect.”
He added, “We know what goals we are pursuing; we don’t hide them, we state them openly, and they are absolutely legitimate in terms of any interpretation of the UN Charter and international law. We know by what means we will always ensure these goals.”
RT reported that Moscow has consistently denied any plans to attack NATO countries, calling such accusations “nonsense” used by Western officials to justify increased military budgets.
Lavrov also said Russia remains willing to engage in dialogue if NATO addresses root concerns, including its expansion toward Russia’s borders and continued military support for Ukraine’s NATO ambitions.
ALSO READ: IDF Operating With Clear Orders To Avoid Harming Innocents, Say Benjamin Netanyahu And Israel Katz
