Vladimir Putin vehemently rejected President Joe Biden’s statements, calling them “utterly absurd”. The Russian leader stated that Russia has no interest in attacking a NATO country and considered Biden’s allegations to be “complete nonsense.” In an interview with state television Rossiya, Putin highlighted that the current crisis in relations between Moscow and the West, triggered by the war in Ukraine, does not have the potential to lead to a direct confrontation with NATO.
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Putin reiterated that Russia has no geopolitical, economic, political or military reasons to enter into conflict with NATO member countries. He emphasized that NATO’s expansion following the collapse of the Soviet Union was interpreted as a manifestation of arrogance on the part of the West regarding Russia’s security concerns.
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Referring to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which establishes the collective defense of alliance members, Putin stressed that any armed attack against a NATO country will be considered an attack against all. However, he argued that Finland’s entry into NATO would result in Russia needing to station additional military units on its territory, especially in the northern region close to the border.
Putin suggested that Biden’s statements may be an attempt to justify a misguided policy toward Russia, and reiterated that the Russian government does not seek hostilities with NATO.
