President Putin Firmly Warns NATO, Blames United States For Tensions In Europe

President of Russia Vladimir Putin. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/Press Service of the President of the Russian Federation BARU)

JAKARTA - Russia is ready to take military-technical measures if NATO expands its strength near its borders, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Defense Ministry's enlarged council on Tuesday.

"In the event of an aggressive policy that is clearly continued by our Western counterparts, we will take adequate military-technical measures and respond strongly to hostile measures," the Russian president warned, quoted from TASS December 22.

As President Putin stressed, Russia "has the full right" to actions intended to ensure its security and sovereignty. According to him, Moscow does not demand special exclusive conditions for itself.

"Russia stands for equal and indivisible security throughout the Eurasian space," said President Putin.

On the same occasion, President Putin said the United States was to blame for the escalation of tensions in Europe.

"And, I want to emphasize, we have the right to do so, we have the right to take measures designed to ensure Russia's security and sovereignty," he explained, citing Sputnik News.

President Putin further revealed that Washington's anti-Russian policies may be due to the euphoria called victory in the Cold War. According to him, the United States failed to draw proper conclusions after the Cold War.

The Russian president also criticized Washington's actions in other countries such as Iraq and Syria, also recalling the bombing of Yugoslavia in the late 1990s.

Putin pointed to how Washington was "doing the toughest things without UN Security Council sanctions". With regard to Iraq, he said, the United States had "destroyed the country" and created "a hotbed of international terrorism", then only justified its mistakes with intelligence failures.

"And how did they enter Syria, was it approved by the (UN) Security Council? No. They did what they wanted," he said.

"The direct buildup of US and NATO military forces on Russia's borders, as well as the holding of large-scale, including unplanned, exercises raise serious concerns. We are very concerned about the deployment of elements of the US global missile defense system near Russia," President Putin stressed.

During Tuesday's speech, President Putin said Russia hoped for "constructive and meaningful negotiations with tangible results that will ensure equal security for all".

Meanwhile, the White House voiced its readiness to engage in diplomacy with Russia, saying dialogue should be based on reciprocity and taking into account the United States' concerns about Russia's actions.