Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the reasons for the war in Ukraine, citing NATO's expansion as one of the main reasons. According to him, Western countries have broken promises made to Russia and have provoked the conflict through their actions.
According to the Kremlin leader, members of the North Atlantic Alliance — NATO are justifying their military expenditures by the threat from Russia. However, he emphasizes that the reality is quite different.
— “How did we end up in this conflict? No one is talking about it. Yet, in the past, NATO promised, ‘we will not expand one inch eastward.’ Then, a series of expansions began. They deceived us, as people say — they tricked us,” said Vladimir Putin.
Historical promise and its violation
Putin emphasized that Western countries had given practical promises to the Russian leadership that NATO would not expand, even if not officially, during the time of the Soviet Union's collapse. However, these promises were later not given sufficient attention.
— “We were promised. Then, one by one, Eastern European countries began to join the alliance. This posed a threat to our security. We did not just sit and wait. We had to respond to these actions,” he said.
Debate on armament and aggression
Putin also pointed out that military expenditures of Western countries are increasing. In his opinion, this is based on the fear called “the Russian threat,” but in reality, these actions indicate aggressive intentions within the alliance itself.
— “They call armament a means of self-defense. But this shows their own aggression, not ours. If they want to increase military expenditures, fine — let them increase. This reflects their position, not ours,” said the Kremlin leader.
Criticism through the proverb "You see the speck in your brother's eye but do not notice the log in your own"
Putin also quoted a popular saying among the people in his speech:
— “We have a good saying: 'You see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log in your own.' They accuse Russia of aggression, but they ignore their own actions,” he noted.
Conclusion: Putin on "deception" and "double standards" in relations with NATO
Through these statements, Putin once again accused the West of “double standards,” reminding that NATO's expansion is perceived as a threat by Russia. In his opinion, the basis of the processes that led to the conflict in Ukraine lies in this distrust.
Putin's remarks are likely to spark debates in the international arena. Especially, how the West and NATO respond to these accusations will also be in the spotlight.
