Russia Warns West Of Military Action Over "Unfriendly Steps" On Ukraine Row

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin warns Tuesday that Russia is ready to take military steps in response to “unfriendly” western actions over the Ukrainian conflict, in sharp rhetoric escalation.
He also called for “serious negotiations” on Russian security demands entered into the United States and NATO during his first call with German Chancellor Germany Olaf Scholz, which in turn called for “de-eskalation”.

Russian president for weeks accused the United States and the NATO military alliance led by Washington firmly near the Moscow border, but this is his first comment signaling potential conflict.

Putin told the Ministry of Defense officials that if the west continued the “aggressive attitude” of Russia would take “technical measures of appropriate retaliation”.

Russia “will react violently for unfriendly steps”, he said, adding that he wanted to underline that “we have the right to do it”.

The United States has sounded alarm since mid-November that Moscow can plan large-scale attacks on his neighbor’s former Soviet Ukraine and has warned Putin from unprecedented sanctions.

The Western government accused Moscow to collect around 100,000 troops near his border with East Ukraine, where Kiev has combed pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

“Our home door”

Russia denies planning an invasion and demanding legal guarantees on its security from the United States and NATO, demanding the alliance stop expansion to the east.

Last week Moscow presented its demands to the United States and NATO, said the alliance could not recognize new members or build military bases in ex-Soviet countries.

In his first call with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said on Tuesday he wanted “serious negotiations” to the demands, accusing Ukraine has violated the 2015 ceasefire agreement.

“Chancellor revealed his concern about the situation and talked about the urgent need for de-escalation,” said a statement released by the Scholz office.

At the meeting with previous defense officials, Putin voiced concern, especially for what he said was the spread of US missiles in Poland and Romania, the countries he said would soon be able to launch Tomahawk roaming missiles.

“If this infrastructure moves further – if the US missile and NATO systems appear in Ukraine – then their approach to Moscow will be reduced to seven or 10 minutes,” he said. That time will be cut even shorter with hypersonic weapons, he added.

Even though he signaled conflict, Putin insisted Russia want to avoid “bloodshed”.

We want to solve problems with political and diplomatic ways, “he said.

But Russian leaders repeated complaints over Washington’s support for Ukraine, which included Kiev troops and made funds of more than $ 2.5 billion to them.

These actions occur “on the doorstep of our house”, Putin said.

Zelensky looks for a “clear time line”

Even if Moscow received US security guarantees, Putin said he would be aware of them because “the United States easily withdrew from all international agreements that for one reason or the other becomes not attractive to them”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky temporarily voiced frustration for NATO’s reluctance to accelerate Kiev membership in the alliance.

“We cannot accept the current theory of (Ukraine join) UE in 30 years and NATO is around 50 years,” Zelensky said Tuesday.

Ukraine wants to get a “very clear time line” from NATO about the prospect of membership in 2022, he added.

Although Kiev has for years trying to join the US LED alliance, Western officials have many opportunities saying this is not on any card.

Ukraine and his Western allies said Moscow had long been involved in the Ukrainian conflict, sending troops and weapons to support separatists in the battle that had claimed more than 13,000 lives.