Deputy FM: Russia ready to legally confirm no plans to attack EU or NATO

Russia is prepared to legally confirm that it has no intentions of attacking the European Union or NATO, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on December 22 during the Valdai Discussion Club forum.

Speaking at the session titled “(Non-)Strategic Stability 2025: A Year in International Security,” Ryabkov referenced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s earlier remarks, noting that Moscow is “even ready to formalise this legally in the context of a potential resolution of the current crisis based on the principle of equal and indivisible security.”

“In the recently published US National Security Strategy, the question of the imprudence of endless NATO expansion is raised explicitly. This in no way means that we have no serious questions remaining for the American side, including in the context of Ukraine," Ryabkov stated.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia would not launch further military operations if its interests were respected, dismissing claims of potential attacks on European countries as "nonsense." 

Speaking in a nearly four-and-a-half-hour televised event, he tied future restraint to respect for Russia and criticism of NATO’s eastward expansion. The broadcast coincided with reports of a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s Odesa region, killing seven and injuring 15. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

By Aghakazim Guliyev