Medvedev said that they “whisper in his ear” about Ukraine
Russia has exhausted the limits of its own retreat to NATO.
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev stated this in an interview with leading Russian media outlets, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The point is not the counterarguments, of course, but the fact that, unfortunately, we have practically exhausted the boundaries of retreat. You know what they say: there is nowhere to retreat, Moscow is behind us. In this case, and under a guarantee of safety. We really conscientiously developed relations with NATO, I still remember my participation in Russia-NATO summits, but no one hears us,” Medvedev said.
He recalled that the West made promises to Russia not to expand NATO, but broke them.
“And now they are encroaching on our direct borders. And the point is not that we are talking about Ukraine, but that this is a real threat to the national security of our country. The red lines are already very close. Documents on security guarantees are related to this. They are not rigid, but very specific and definite, and record our concerns. The point is that at some point, if Ukraine joins NATO, a new military base and new types of strike weapons will appear right on our border. It's not even Poland anymore. We find ourselves in a very difficult geopolitical situation. We cannot ignore this.
The point is not even to be guaranteed against NATO advances, although this is very important, but to ensure that security guarantees of a different order are given. It is possible not to invite Ukraine to NATO at all. They are whispering in our ears that Ukraine will not join NATO in the coming years. But it is possible, on the basis of bilateral agreements, to deliver the same types of strike weapons, the same missiles, to the territory of Ukraine or some other country. And say: “no, this is not NATO.” But it’s the same for us.
Moreover, we understand how such decisions are made and such forces are used. All the same, it will, in fact, be under the auspices of NATO, and decisions in NATO are made using the US controlling stake,” Medvedev said.
He stressed that Russia wants Western guarantees to be enshrined in a binding document.
Medvedev Reveals What He's Being "Whispered Into" About Ukraine