Moscow: War in Ukraine will not end without stopping NATO enlargement

Russia has set the stopping of NATO enlargement to the east as a condition for ending the war in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today that the request is a test of the US seriousness in order to improve relations with Russia.

« The US side is needed to remove the reasons for the fundamental contradictions in the field of security, » said Ryabkov, who is responsible for strategic weapons.

– NATO expansion is at the top of the list of these reasons. Without resolving this fundamental problem, it is simply impossible to resolve the current conflict in the Euro -Atlantic region – he added.
Ryabkov stressed that the United States must respect Russia’s fundamental interests. The Russian leadership often mentions NATO enlargement and Ukraine’s potential membership as a cause of military aggression – notes DPA.

He called for a memorandum since December 2021, two months before the start of the war in Ukraine, in which Moscow demanded that NATO enlargement and the withdrawal of Alliance forces from the countries that joined after 1997. This request remains in force, Ryabkov confirmed. The withdrawal of about 10,000 US troops from Eastern Europe would contribute to the security of the entire continent, he added. NATO rejected this ultimatum.

After the war, Finland and Sweden joined the Alliance, and additional troops were sent to guarantee the security of the Baltic states. Ryabkov said a third meeting between Russia and the United States would be held soon to normalize the work of their embassies.