Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Wednesday that he has given the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) the opportunity to expand, while claiming that the United States is using its foreign influence to keep “NATO client states”.
NATO formally invited Finland and Sweden to become members of the alliance after World War II, a move Russia tried to block with a series of threats. Officials have pointed to Putin’s attack on Ukraine as helping to strengthen the alliance and noted that the war has backfired on his goals because the war gave NATO reason to expand.
Asked about NATO Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg’s remark that Putin was getting the opposite of what he wanted, Putin criticized the nature of the alliance but acknowledged that Russia may have motivated NATO.
“Our position has always been … that NATO is a relic of the Cold War and is used only as a tool of US foreign policy designed to keep its client states in check.” This is his only mission. We gave them that opportunity, I understand that. They use these arguments vigorously and quite effectively to rally their so-called allies,” Putin told reporters at the sixth Caspian summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to blame himself for pushing for NATO troop expansion in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Above, Putin answers questions about NATO and Ukraine during his press conference at Ashgabat International Airport in Turkmenistan on June 29, 2022. Contributor/Getty Images
In what has been described as NATO’s “biggest overhaul” since the Cold War, NATO’s approximately 40,000 troops are expected to increase more than sevenfold to more than 300,000 troops – rising even more some eight years after Russia’s invasion in the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Although Putin said he did not object to Finland and Sweden joining NATO because Russia “has no territorial issues or disputes with them” as it does with Ukraine, he said the development created unnecessary tension.
“[Finland and Sweden] they should know that they have not faced any threats before, but if they now have military contingents and infrastructure deployed on their territory, we will have to take mirror action and create for them the same threats that have been created for us,” added Putin.
The Russian president also said NATO was “turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia, a springboard for attempts to stir up Russia itself,” citing alleged denigrations of Russian culture and language that helped fuel the conflict.
Ukraine has long hoped for NATO membership, as it would provide significant security guarantees against future attacks by Russia. The Kremlin has staunchly opposed Ukraine’s membership, making it a key obstacle in negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky has acknowledged that Ukraine may never be accepted into NATO and appears to have put the idea of joining the alliance on the back burner. But on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials expressed optimism that Ukraine could follow the same formula as Sweden and Finland and gain swift acceptance. Experts have expressed concerns that Ukraine’s accession to NATO could escalate the conflict with Russia and plunge the countries into a world war.
Asked about Russia’s military operation in Ukraine — whether the goals have evolved or whether there is a specific time frame for keeping forces across the border — Putin said “nothing has changed” since the initial invasion on February 24.
“We work calmly and steadily. As you can see, our forces are moving forward and achieving the objectives that have been set for the specific engagement period. We are moving according to plan.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for more than six months now and has resulted in over 8.4 million Ukrainians fleeing the country. Although initially seen as a quick military operation for Russia, the financial aid for weapons in addition to the admission of Ukrainians from neighboring countries led to an escalation of the conflict.
The capture of Snake Island in the Black Sea by Ukrainian soldiers on Thursday after 127 days of occupation is seen as a potentially important moment in the conflict, acting as a strategic and symbolic victory.
Group of Seven (G7) world leaders this week called out Putin and Russia for an alleged “war crime” involving a missile attack on a mall in central Ukraine. The leaders continued to express their “unwavering support” for Ukraine, including providing financial, military and humanitarian assistance “to the extent necessary.”
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