Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled on Wednesday December 8 that Russia had the right to defend itself, the day after an interview with his American counterpart Joe Biden about the tensions between Moscow and Ukraine supported by NATO.
Read also Biden and Poutine, virtual summit in search of de-escalation
The American president had warned his counterpart against any military offensive targeting his Ukrainian adversary, promising "
strong sanctions
" if necessary. "
Russia is pursuing a foreign policy for peace, but it has the right to protect its security
", commented on this subject Vladimir Poutine during a press conference, estimating that to let NATO approach its borders without to react would be "
criminal
".
Europeans and Americans have for weeks accused Russia of deploying large numbers of forces on its border with Ukraine, raising fears of a military escalation.
Conversely, for Moscow, the support of the Atlantic Alliance in Kiev and the Ukrainian ambitions to join the organization feed the risk of military confrontation in the region and constitute a threat to the security of Russia.
Read also According to Kiev and Washington, Russia could attack Ukraine this winter
Speaking to the press from Sochi after his meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mr. Poutin nevertheless considered
his exchange with Mr. Biden
“
constructive
”.
"
We have the possibility of continuing this dialogue, and it seems to me that this is the essential thing
", he said, the Kremlin and the White House having renewed contact in particular with the Poutine-Biden summit in June in Geneva then the videoconference on Tuesday.
