After 3 years of war, why Putin was no longer afraid of NATO armament: “There is no doubt in this regard”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that NATO re -armament is not a “threat” for Russia, because, according to him, his country has the “defense capabilities” to cope, after more than three years of conflict in Ukraine, which militated the Russian state, writes AGERPRES.

At the same time, the Kremlin leader welcomed the fact that his army advances “every day” on the front line, in front of a less large and difficult Ukrainian army.

The North Atlantic Alliance, which will meet in a summit next week in The Hague, pushes its members to increase their security expenses, in the hot context of the Ukraine conflict, triggered by the Russian attack from 2022 against its neighbor.

According to Putin, “we do not consider NATO's re -armament as a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self -sufficiency in terms of security.”

“We constantly improve our armed forces and defense capabilities,” he said during a meeting with representatives of foreign press agencies, including AFP, at St. Petersburg.

Increased NATO military expenses, “meaningless”

An increase in NATO member countries' expenses to 5% of their GDP would create “specific” challenges for Russia, acknowledged Vladimir Putin, considering, however, that this increase in expenses is “meaningless” for the members of the Alliance.

“We will counteract all the threats that will appear. There is no doubt in this regard,” he stressed.

The head of the Russian state presented the large -scale Russian offensive launched in Ukraine in 2022 as part of a larger conflict between Russia and the Alliance, which he considers an “existential” threat to the borders of his country.

During the peace discussions about Ukraine, he wants to speak – especially with the American leader Donald Trump – about the security architecture on the old continent.

Kiev, in turn, seeks to obtain security guarantees from the Atlantic Alliance in the perspective of any agreement aimed to end the fights.

At this stage, the peace negotiations between the two belligerents, initiated under Donald Trump's pressure, are blocked, the two parties remaining in their positions, very divergent.

Little, open to meet Zelenski

Russia rejected the “unconditional” armistice wanted by Ukraine, which, in turn, described Russia's requests as “ultimatums”.

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski asked Vladimir Putin to meet personally to find a conflict solution, an option rejected by the Russian president, as well as the Kiev's proposal for an unconditional armistice.

On Thursday, the latter said he was open to such a summit, but only within the “final stage” of the negotiations.

“I am really ready to meet (with Zelenski), but only if it is the final stage” of the negotiations, the Russian president said in front of the representatives of foreign news agencies.

However, he again questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian leader, whose presidential term officially expired in May 2024.

Kiev could not organize presidential elections due to the Russian attack and to introduce the martial law.

“No matter who negotiates”

“I am prepared to meet anyone, even Zelenski. This is not the problem. If the Ukrainian state trushes in a certain person to lead the negotiations, God, it can be Zelenski,” said the head of the Russian state during this round table.

“It doesn't matter who negotiates, even if he is the current head of the regime,” he added.

Putin also stated that it is necessary to “find a solution that not only ends the current conflict, but also to create the necessary conditions to prevent the repetition of such long -term situations.”

Two rounds of discussions between the Russians and the Ukrainians took place in Istanbul, but did not lead to any progress to an armistice in this conflict that made tens of thousands of dead and injured.

Moscow, whose army occupies almost 20% of the Ukrainian territory, asks Kiev among others to withdraw its forces from four regions that he claims to annexed, that Ukraine will give up NATO accession and limit its army size.

On the ground, the Russian forces continue to bomb the Ukrainian cities and villages daily. On Wednesday morning, they launched a series of attacks on Kiev, resulting in at least 28 dead, according to the Ukrainian authorities, one of the most serious balances in the capital in 2022.