Russia has no plans to invade Ukraine, Gatilov affirms

Geneva, SANA- Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, stressed that the lie of the Russian threat to Ukraine is a pretext that allows the West to increase its military presence in Russia’s neighboring countries.

In an interview with Russian Sputnik Agency, Gatilov added that the threat of sanctions and Western hostile rhetoric are exacerbating the situation and worsening the atmosphere of dialogue on security.

Gatilov reiterated Moscow’s readiness for dialogue with the United States, pointing out that it would be difficult to conduct a dialogue on European security problems without taking into account the priority issue for Russia, which is the non-expansion of NATO towards the east.

“There may be confusion among Western officials and analysts in deciphering the completely clear statements of the Russian leadership, and therefore I repeat that Russia does not have and did not have any plans to invade Ukraine because there is no motive for this, no geostrategic goal, and no sound logic,” Gatilov said.

Gatilov added that Russia has always called for equal, practical and mutually beneficial relations with all countries, not only with its neighbors, reminding that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had previously said very clearly: “if it depends on Russia there will be no war.”

Gatilov pointed out that the West is using the method of sanctions, political pressure and military maneuvers near the Russian borders to raise the ceiling of its stakes during negotiations with Moscow on security guarantees.

He noted that such methods are well known in diplomacy and have been used many times in the history of international relations.

Ruaa al-Jazaeri