Russia to respond 'militarily' in response to NATO's deployment of weaponry in Europe

A senior official indicated on December 13, that Russia will respond "militarily" to what it views as NATO's push on its western borders. Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister, issued the threat in response to the Kremlin's complaints about NATO's deployment of weaponry in Eastern Europe and Western warnings of Russia's impending invasion of Ukraine.

If the Western military alliance does not promise an end to its eastward expansion, Ryabkov told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, "our answer will be military." "There will be conflict," he added, warning that Moscow will use weapons formerly prohibited under the INF Treaty, which expired in 2019.

"At the moment, [the prohibited weapons] do not exist; we have a unilateral moratorium. We urge NATO and the US to join this moratorium," Ryabkov added, according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

No trust in NATO: Ryabkov

According to the senior diplomat, "There’s basically no trust in NATO. Therefore, we’re no longer playing this kind of game and don’t believe NATO’s assurances," RIA Novosti reported.

In another segment of Monday's interview, Ryabkov slammed the US for its inexplicable fixation on the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a video conference with US President Joe Biden, during which he refused to clarify whether he planned to launch an attack but reiterated that Russia has the right to defend its security.

Putin also asked that Biden pledge in writing that Ukraine will not be used as a staging ground for NATO. The Russian Foreign Ministry requested on Friday that the United States formally block the door to Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO. The Foreign Ministry also demanded that the Western military bloc guarantee that weapons posing a security threat to Russia's western borders would not be deployed.

NATO chief rejected Russia's call to deny Ukraine entry

On Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg rejected Russian requests to revoke a 2008 guarantee to Ukraine that the country will join the Western military alliance one day. The comments come after Russia's foreign ministry suggested NATO should formally revoke a 2008 proclamation granting Georgia and Ukraine, two former Soviet republics, membership. Russia has deployed some 100,000 troops to Ukraine's border in recent weeks, raising worry in Washington and NATO's Brussels headquarters.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP