New Delhi: Addressing the ongoing debate over NATO expansion and Kyiv’s role in global geopolitics, Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 4 made it clear that Moscow will not compromise its own security interests to safeguard Ukraine.
Speaking to India Today, he said Ukraine’s security cannot come at Russia’s expense. He emphasised that while each nation, including Ukraine, has the right to choose its own defence path, Moscow cannot accept arrangements that threaten its safety.
“When this gentleman came to power, he declared that he would pursue peace at all costs, using every means possible, without sparing even his career. But now we see things differently. He follows the same pattern as his predecessors, putting the interests of a narrow nationalist group, particularly radical nationalists, ahead of those of the people,” Putin said, referring to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Russian president did not hold back in his criticism, asserting that Kyiv’s current approach bears striking similarities to neo-Nazi ideologies.
“Extreme nationalism and neo-Nazism are almost indistinguishable concepts. What matters most for them is realising that the best way to resolve problems is through peaceful negotiations, and we attempted to negotiate with them back in 2022,” he added.
On NATO’s role, Putin insisted that Russia is not opposed to Ukraine ensuring its safety but stressed that it cannot happen at Russia’s cost.
“Each country, including Ukraine, has the right to choose its own means of defence and ensure its own safety. Correct? Absolutely correct. Do we deny Ukraine this? No. But it is not acceptable if done at Russia’s expense,” he said.
He also pointed to commitments made to Russia in the 1990s regarding NATO’s non-expansion eastward, which he says have been repeatedly ignored.
“We are not asking for anything unusual. They were pledged to Russia back in the ’90s: no expansion eastward. Since then, several waves of expansion took place, culminating with Ukraine being drawn into NATO. This completely displeases us and poses a serious threat,” Putin explained.
The Russian President highlighted Ukraine’s Declaration of State Sovereignty, stating that it originally recognised the country as a neutral state. “When Ukraine became independent, few people recall this: the first document ratifying independence was the Declaration of State Sovereignty. That forms the foundation of Ukrainian sovereignty and modern statehood. It clearly states that Ukraine is a neutral state,” he said.
Addressing Kyiv’s 28-point peace proposal, Putin suggested that little had changed. “They simply broke down those 28 points, then 27, into four packages and proposed discussing these four packages. But essentially, it is still just the same old 27 points,” he said.
Putin also spoke on his meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska, portraying the US president as genuinely invested in achieving peace. “I have absolutely no doubt that President Trump had genuine intentions. He constantly speaks about his wish to minimise losses, and I am confident that his sincerity is genuine,” he said.
While acknowledging Washington’s political and economic interests, Putin insisted that both nations are actively seeking a resolution. “There could also be political interests tied to ending the confrontation, or economic motives too. There are numerous areas where restoring economic relations between the United States and Russia would benefit both sides,” he added.
Through the interview, Putin projected a vision of Russia’s security as non-negotiable, reiterating that Moscow remains open to dialogue but will not accept a framework that compromises its national safety.
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