Russia has no intention of attacking NATO or European Union countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said, rejecting claims that Moscow harbors aggressive designs against the West.
Speaking at a Valdai International Discussion Club debate titled (Non-)Strategic Stability 2025: A Year in International Security, Ryabkov stated, “We certainly have no plans to attack EU and NATO countries. Russia doesn’t pursue the aggressive goals some say it has.”
He recalled remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has said that Moscow is prepared to legally formalize security guarantees as part of a potential resolution to the current crisis, based on the principle of equal and indivisible security. According to Ryabkov, such an approach would require building a security architecture jointly with Russia rather than against it.
However, Ryabkov argued that most European countries are unwilling to pursue this path. He said that if the concept of indivisible security is acknowledged by EU and European NATO members, it is often applied only within the framework of the collective West, excluding Russia.
“As a result, this does not inspire optimism,” Ryabkov said, adding that despite what he described as a more balanced Russia policy from Washington, the risk of confrontation between Russia and NATO remains high due to what he characterized as hostile and inadequate actions by European countries.
TASS
