Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes that the situation in talks with the United States and NATO will develop in a constructive way. The Kremlin head believes that in the matter of the security guarantee initiative, Moscow has put the question directly and without any tricks, the UNN reports with reference to his press conference.
Now, he said, the ball is on the side of NATO, and the organization has to respond. So far, he believes, the reaction to the idea is positive.
"Clearly, one of the most important elements today, is stability and security, ensuring security in this area, in this direction. And we have to understand how our security will be ensured. So without any tricks, we just put the question directly that there should be no movement of NATO further east... The ball is on their side, they have to answer us something. I would like to emphasize that on the whole, we have seen a positive response so far," Putin said.
Russia, according to Vladimir Putin, was allegedly "cheated, brazenly deceived" when in the 1990s they promised not to push NATO eastward. "Are we putting missiles near U.S. borders? No, the U.S. is the one on our doorstep. Is it an excessive requirement not to put any strike systems near our home? What's so unusual about that...? Are you demanding some kind of guarantee from me? You have to give us guarantees. You! Immediately, now. And not to bury it for decades," he decided to add.
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft documents on the provision of legal security guarantees by the United States and NATO. Moscow demanded that Washington and its allies legally fix the refusal of NATO enlargement, cease its military cooperation with the post-Soviet countries, remove American nuclear weapons from Europe and withdraw NATO forces to the positions of 1997.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also added that one of Moscow's goals was to "exclude Ukraine from joining NATO".
