Putin: Europeans are being “fooled” with claims Russia will attack NATO - VIDEO

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described claims that Russia could attack NATO countries as a provocation and disinformation campaign aimed at frightening European citizens and increasing military spending.

He made the remarks during a meeting with the heads of international news agencies at the Konstantinovsky Palace, News.Az reports.

The question was put to Putin by Martin Romanczyk, head of the news service at the German news agency DPA. He recalled that two years ago, the Russian president had already dismissed suggestions that Russia might attack NATO as “nonsense.”

The journalist noted that despite discussions surrounding U.S. plans concerning medium-range missiles in Germany, as well as reports that Washington could redeploy part of its military forces from Europe to Asian countries, speculation continues that Russia may attack NATO territory in the foreseeable future.

Responding to the question, Putin urged Europeans to consider why Russia would have any reason to start an armed conflict with the North Atlantic Alliance.

“Everyone who thinks about this should ask themselves one question: why? Why would we need this?” the Russian president said.

According to Putin, the conflict in Ukraine is rooted in the events that followed the change of power in Kyiv, as well as the treatment of the country’s Russian-speaking population.

“At the heart of the conflict lies the coup in Ukraine and the suppression of everything Russian there, as well as the suppression of a significant part of the country’s population that did not recognize the results of that coup,” he said.

Putin noted that Ukraine is largely a Russian-speaking country. He argued that even representatives of Ukrainian nationalist circles often speak Russian in their everyday lives.

The Russian leader claimed that events following the change of power in Ukraine eventually forced Moscow to support residents of territories that did not recognize the new authorities.

“In the end, we were forced, simply forced, to support some of the people living in territories that did not recognize that coup,” Putin said.

He added that Ukraine’s movement toward NATO membership was another factor behind Moscow’s actions.

During his response, the Russian president once again raised the issue of NATO’s eastward expansion. Putin claimed that Western countries had failed to honor assurances allegedly given to Moscow in the early 1990s.

“They simply deceived us directly. You all know this very well. Beginning in 1991, they said that NATO would not move a single step eastward,” he said.

At the same time, Putin insisted that the conflict in Ukraine did not mean Russia had plans to attack European countries.

“But what does Europe have to do with this? What possible reason would we have to attack Europe and go to war with NATO?” the Russian president asked.

In his view, claims about a possible Russian attack on Europe have no real basis.

“This is nonsense, but it seems to me that it is not merely nonsense. It is a deliberate provocation designed to create a threat that does not actually exist and to force people in those countries to spend more money on defence,” Putin said.

The Russian leader argued that such warnings were being used to justify higher defence budgets in European countries and continued financial support for the Ukrainian authorities.

“It is not simply nonsense; it is a provocation,” he stressed.

Putin also expressed surprise that some Europeans believe Russia could attack NATO.

“What surprises me is that part of the population in European countries, strangely enough, believes this. It is simply absurd. It would be funny if it were not so sad,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, the Russian president claimed that suggestions Russia was preparing to attack Europe were part of an information campaign intended to frighten European societies.

“As for a Russian attack on Europe, this is, of course, nonsense, but not only that. It is also provocation and disinformation aimed at misleading their own populations, extracting money for confrontation with Russia and militarizing their economies,” Putin concluded.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada