Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The Kremlin has dismissed recent remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urging European nations to prepare for potential conflict with Russia, with presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing the comments as reflecting a generation that has “forgotten the lessons of World War II.”
Rutte made the statements during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz last Thursday, calling on NATO member states to increase defense spending and adopt a “military mindset,” claiming that the alliance could be “the next target” of Russian aggression.
In response, Peskov criticized the European approach, saying Moscow looks to Washington, rather than Europe, for mediation on the Ukraine conflict. He described the U.S. position on resolving the conflict as “decisive and realistic,” while suggesting that European countries are playing a political game that prolongs the war.
Peskov also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, noting that although he came to power with promises of peace, he allegedly violated the Minsk agreements and escalated the conflict. “When Zelensky won elections against Petro Poroshenko, he campaigned on peace. Instead, he continued violating Minsk agreements, delaying progress, and edging closer to war,” Peskov said.
The spokesman further claimed that NATO experts began entering Ukraine, working within government institutions, and facilitating initial weapons shipments, which he argued created threats to Russian citizens and heightened geopolitical tensions, ultimately prompting Moscow’s military intervention.
Addressing concerns about Kyiv potentially signing peace agreements under pressure but failing to honor them, Peskov stated that Russia would not accept such a scenario. He stressed the need for a specific system of guarantees to ensure Ukraine’s compliance with any settlement, both for security and for effective implementation of agreements.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also reiterated that Moscow has no aggressive intentions toward NATO or EU countries. Speaking on December 11 at a roundtable with heads of diplomatic missions in Moscow, Lavrov said Russia is willing to provide written, legally binding guarantees on this issue, emphasizing that any such guarantees would be “collective and reciprocal.”
The Kremlin’s response underscores Moscow’s longstanding position that NATO’s expansion and involvement in Ukraine constitute a threat, while asserting that Russia seeks enforceable security guarantees rather than escalating tensions with European nations.
