Russia ‘won’t start war in Ukraine’claims foreign minister
RUSSIA has said it will not start a war in Ukraine but warned that the US and Nato have ignored its demands and left little room for compromise.
President Vladimir Putin told French president Emmanuel Macron that the West has failed to consider Russia’s key conditions of halting further Nato expansion, stopping the deployment of alliance weapons near Russian borders, and rolling back its forces from eastern Europe, the Kremlin said. The US and Nato formally rejected those demands this week, although Washington outlined areas where discussions are possible, offering hope that there could be a way to avoid war amid the build-up of more than 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday warned Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky that there is a “distinct possibility” that Russia could take military action against the former Soviet state in February. Moscow has repeatedly denied having any such plans. Mr Zelensky sought to play down the war fears, saying Western alarm over an imminent invasion has prompted many investors in the country’s financial markets to don’t need this panic,” he said at a news conference on Friday. “It cost Ukrainians dearly.”
Mr Putin told Mr Macron that Moscow will study the US-Nato response before deciding its next move, according to the Kremlin. Earlier in the day, Mr Putin held a weekly meeting of his Security Council, saying only that it would address foreign policy issues. He has made no public remarks about the Western response, but foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said it leaves little chance for reaching agreement.
“While they say they won’t change their positions, we won’t change ours,” he told Russian radio stations in a live interview. “I don’t see any room for compromise here.”
“There won’t be a war as far as it depends on the Russian Federation, we don’t want a war,” he added. “But we won’t let our interests be rudely trampled on and ignored.”
Mr Lavrov said the US suggested the two sides could talk about limits on the deployment of intermediaterange missiles and restrictions on military drills.
Read David Pratt