NATO’s “gradual invasion” into Ukraine has brought the bloc right up to Moscow’s “red line,” according to the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who also noted that the situation poses an imminent threat to European security.
Peskov said in the interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that relations between Russia and NATO are nearing the red line because of the military support the alliance is giving to Ukraine. He also explained that Moscow considers it necessary to keep Russian troops near the border with Ukraine because of “a very tense situation and very unfriendly environment.” According to the Kremlin spokesman, Russia “cannot put up” with NATO “gradually making its way” into Ukraine.
“We have seen NATO gradually invade Ukrainian territory with its infrastructure, its instructors, supplies of defensive and offensive weapons, teaching the Ukrainian military and so forth. That has brought us to the red line, a situation which we couldn’t tolerate anymore,” he said.
The Kremlin’s spokesman stressed that although Russia is not threatening military reprisals, it will have to take countermeasures if NATO persists in its expansion. As for the threat of Western sanctions, Peskov said Russia is big and self-sufficient enough not to be worried about them.
“We’ve gotten used to living under American sanctions. And, to some extent, we’re trying to take advantage of them, in terms of developing our domestic economy, our domestic production, compensating deficit of certain import parts and elements by producing our own. It gives a boost to our national economy,” Peskov stated.
At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman said that the restrictions proposed by the US, which include personal sanctions against the leadership of Russia among other things, could “lead to the discontinuation of any relationship” by the two countries.
Ru-Main, 17.01.2022
Source: Sputnik
