“Russia does not want war” said the Russian president, Vladimir Putin in the joint press conference she gave with him German Chancellor, Olaf Solzwhile leaving open a window of dialogue with the West, according to the BBC.
Asked if he can rule it out the possibility of war in Europe“His generation can not imagine a war in Europe,” he said, adding, however, that the continent experienced the war in Yugoslavia in the 1990s, which he claimed was started by NATO.
He stressed that Russia does not want a war and in this context had submitted proposals for the start of a negotiation process, but stressed that there was no constructive response to Russia’s proposals.
As he said, the basic requirements have not been met by NATO and the Alliance has an obligation not to increase its security to the detriment of other countries.
However, he said he was ready to discuss European security and missile issues.
Asked about NATO enlargement, the Russian president said that for the last 30 years we have been told that the Alliance will not be expanded, but today we see actions happening “right on our doorstep”.
He even wondered when Ukraine’s accession to NATO would be accepted. “We have to resolve this issue now, we have to resolve this issue during these negotiations,” he said.
“We hope that our concern will be heard by our partners and taken seriously,” he added.
Russia’s main demand now is for the West to guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO.
At the same time, Putin accused Ukraine of committing genocide in Donbas, in areas controlled by Moscow-backed rebels.
“In our view, what is happening now in Donbass is genocide,” he told a news conference.
According to the Russian president, in order to solve the problem in Donbas, it is necessary to “start from the possibilities of implementing the Minsk agreements, which have not been fully used”.
“We rely heavily on the fact that our partners across the ocean and in Europe, especially Germany and France, will exert a similar influence on the current Kiev government and that a solution will be found,” Putin said.
It is noted that the Russian president has made similar criticisms in the past, in relation to the issue of discrimination against Russian-speakers across its borders, many of whom live in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Soltz: We demand de-escalation
For his part, Olaf Solz stressed that the accumulation of troops on the border with Ukraine is considered a threat and is “incomprehensible.”
He demanded that there be “de-escalation” in the region, emphasizing that it is important that “there will be no war”.
The German chancellor added that territorial integrity is “non-negotiable” and his desire is for dialogue. The talks should not reach a “deadlock”, he added.
In this context, he called on Putin to send his negotiators in a “positive mood so that we can make progress.”
“Security can only be achieved with Russia, not against Russia,” he said.
He added that NATO and Europe have a common understanding that a solution must be found, no matter how difficult. “We must all be brave and responsible in our actions,” he stressed.
Regarding the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany, which has been completed but is not yet operational, the German Chancellor said that his country is committed to ensuring the operation of gas transmission in Europe, but stressed that a war in Ukraine would had “great consequences”.
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