Russia says conflict cannot be resolved until NATO leaves
One of the root causes is NATO expansion, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Without addressing it, the conflict cannot be ended.
According to TASS news agency on June 9, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that some leading European countries are gradually becoming the main obstacle on the path to peace.
Mr. Ryabkov said that the EU and NATO are constantly pushing Kiev to continue military activities, pumping weapons and equipment and promising more sabotage and provocations, in order to disrupt the negotiation process.
According to the Russian diplomat, Brussels' "strategists" are not giving up their efforts to persuade US President Donald Trump to return to the policy pursued by his predecessor Joe Biden. And that policy implies unconditional support for Ukraine and further escalation.
“It is through this prism that we see the statements and actions of the German Chancellor, including the words about lifting restrictions on missile strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia,” the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said.
According to Mr. Ryabkov, this is one of the deliberate actions against the wishes of those who are looking for a political solution.
“Everyone knows our principled position regarding the decision of the United States and a number of Western countries in November 2024 to grant Kiev permission to use their long-range systems for strikes deep into Russian territory. We have repeatedly stressed that the use of such weapons without the direct participation of military specialists from the countries that produce these systems is impossible,” Ryabkov told TASS.
The Russian diplomat reiterated President Vladimir Putin's statement that the basic principle is the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict within the framework of political and diplomatic efforts. Otherwise, lasting peace cannot be guaranteed, and in particular, it is necessary to exclude any opportunity for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use the pause to rest and regroup.
Therefore, according to Mr. Ryabkov, the US side needs practical steps to eliminate the root causes of fundamental contradictions between Russia and NATO in the security field. Among these causes, NATO expansion is at the top position.
“Without solving this most fundamental and urgent problem for Russia, it is simply impossible to resolve the current conflict in the Euro-Atlantic region. It seems that Washington is still aware of the multi-layered nature of the current problem and therefore is in no hurry to launch initiatives related to arms control with Ukraine,” Ryabkov said.
