Putin promises 'commensurate reaction' to NATO expansion
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised a “commensurate reaction” for the deployment of NATO bases near Russian borders.
Speaking at a meeting of Russian ambassadors and permanent representatives in Moscow on Thursday, the President called such actions “aggressive steps”.
In his opinion, the guarantee of security in Europe is based on constructive cooperation in the European space.
Putin also urged Western countries to exert influence on Kyiv in the implementation of the Minsk agreements. According to Putin, disregarding these agreements is aggravating the situation in the southeast of Ukraine.
Putin also rejected accusations that Russia is trying to make Europe dependent on Russian gas. “There are no political underpinnings in the project Nord Stream-2,” says Putin.
Characterizing the relationship with the US, the president said that now they are in many ways worse than during the Cold War.
At the same time, according to Putin, the summit held in Helsinki between Russian and US leaders can be called the beginning of the road to positive changes, Putin said.
The Russian president also noted that, as a whole, the results of the negotiations at the meeting with Donald Trump, that many are trying to belittle, were successful.