DISINFO: Russia does not pose a threat to the EU countries
SUMMARY
The Russian Federation has not posed and does not pose any threat to anyone in the European Union. Russia is defending its interests in Ukraine in conditions where the EU countries have excluded any possibility of dialogue and taking into account Russia’s concerns.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Russia is a peaceful country.
Russia has been repeatedly issuing nuclear threats against European nations and the US by both voicing belligerent statements and holding military drills. The ex-president and deputy head of Russia’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev, wrote on Telegram on 6 May 2024 that if Western countries sent their troops to Ukraine, it would entail these countries' direct entry into the war, to which Russia ‘will have to respond.’ ‘And, unfortunately, not on the territory of Ukraine. There will be a global catastrophe,’ Medvedev said.
Putin said on 29 February 2024 that if Western countries sent troops to Ukraine, it could lead to nuclear war. In his speech announcing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine (which Moscow calls a ‘special military operation’) on 24 February 2022, Putin threatened Western nations with dire consequences if they dared to help Ukraine, saying that ‘Russia’s response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences that you have never experienced in your history.’
All the above-mentioned statements and many others have posed a direct threat to European and global security. In addition, Russia has been regularly launching nuclear drills intending to intimidate its European neighbours. Russia’s military held the first stage of drills involving tactical nuclear weapons in May 2024. Russia and its ally Belarus launched a second stage of the drills in June 2024.
To counter Russian threats, NATO has adopted several strong declarations and drawn up several plans of action. The Declaration of NATO’s Washington Summit of 2024 said: ‘Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shattered peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and gravely undermined global security. Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security.’ The 2023 Vilnius Summit Communiqué said: ‘We condemn Russia’s announced intention to deploy nuclear weapons and nuclear-capable systems on Belarusian territory, which further demonstrates how Russia’s repeated actions undermine strategic stability and overall security in the Euro-Atlantic area.’
NATO has been strengthening its eastern flank in response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in February 2014 and the beginning of the unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is entirely unprovoked and unjustified. NATO condemns in the strongest possible terms this aggression.
In late 2021, Russia demanded security guarantees from NATO. Western nations were ready to work on addressing these concerns in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. Even the European Union’s attitude towards Russia adopted in June 2021 – push back on Russia's claims, constrain, engage – was providing space for involving Russia in the political process. Instead, Russia put forth unacceptable demands such as withdrawal of NATO forces to positions they occupied in 1997 before accepting former Soviet republics and former socialist countries. Instead of conducting a meaningful dialogue, Russia chose to fully invade Ukraine.
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