In a fiery address delivered at a gathering of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Vladimir Putin undertook a scathing attack on the United States and its Western allies, marking a substantial escalation in rhetoric amid the constant Ukraine-Russia conflict. Putin’s comments came on the heels of a newly signed 10-year security pact between the US and Ukraine, further heightening the geopolitical tension.
Putin blamed the West for leading the world to a perilous brink, noting, “The selfishness and hypocrisy of Western countries have led to a dangerous turn of events, and we have come close to a point of no return.” He accused Washington of undermining global security via its unilateral withdrawal from different arms control agreements, a move he expressed exacerbated the current volatile situation.
“The selfishness and arrogance of Western states have led to the current extremely dangerous state of affairs. We have come unacceptably close to the point of no return,” Putin said. He also criticised calls for a strategic defeat of Russia, cautioning that such ambitions were reckless given Russia’s substantial nuclear arsenal. “Calls to impose a strategic defeat on Russia, which has the biggest arsenal of nuclear weapons, demonstrate the severe adventurism of Western politicians. They either do not comprehend the scale of the threat that they themselves create or are simply plagued with the belief in their own immunity and in their own exclusivity. Both of these can result in tragedy,” he said.
Despite his severe warnings, Putin also struck a somewhat calming tone, suggesting that the West and Russia need to find a method to work together. He claimed that the “Western model” of global security was dying and that a new, more stable system needed to be installed. “Obviously, we are witnessing the collapse of the Euro-Atlantic security system. Today it simply does not exist, it needs to be essentially created anew,” he said.
Putin suggested that this new security architecture should be designed in collaboration with all interested parties, including European and NATO countries. “It is necessary to proceed from the fact that the coming security architecture is open to all Eurasian nations that wish to take part in its creation. ‘To all’ represents European and NATO countries too, of course,” he stressed. “We live on the same mainland. No matter what happens, you cannot modify the geography. We will have to coexist and work together one way or another.”
In a connected development, Putin drafted Russia’s conditions for initiating peace discussions with Ukraine. He said that Russia would be ready to hire in negotiations if Ukrainian forces withdrew from the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk areas and if Ukraine abandoned its programs to join NATO. “Conditions are very simple,” Putin declared. “Ukrainian forces must be completely drawn from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. As soon as Kyiv states they’re ready for such a conclusion and start the real withdrawal of forces from these regions and officially declare denial of plans to join NATO, from our side, immediately, literally the same minute, will come an order to stop the fire and start negotiations. We will do it immediately.”
As the dispute between Ukraine and Russia drags on, the international community observes closely, hoping for a resolution that can convey stability to a deeply fractured region. However, with both flanks holding firm to their needs, the path to stability remains fraught with challenges and uncertainties.
