Russia says it may respond militarily if the United States does not accept the security demands

• Russia has warned that it may have to respond militarily if the United States does not succumb to its security demands.
• Russia demanded that Ukraine be permanently banned from joining NATO.
• The United States and NATO were adamant that this was not a start.

Russia warned on Thursday that it may “have to respond” militarily if the United States does not agree to its demands for binding security guarantees, including permanently barring Ukraine and Georgia from joining NATO. The United States has repeatedly made clear that this requirement is not a start.

“With the US side unwilling to agree to strict and legally binding guarantees of our security from the US and its allies, Russia will be forced to respond, including by implementing technical military measures.” Kremlin He said on Thursday in an 11-page response to written proposals made by the United States in late January regarding Moscow’s security demands.

The United States and NATO vehemently rejected Russia’s demand to ban Ukraine forever from the alliance, stating that countries should be free to choose their allies and defense partnerships. Although Ukraine has been seeking to join NATO for years, it is not on the official path to becoming a member anytime in the near future. But with an estimated 150,000 troops besieging Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the problem be resolved now.

Putin has complained about NATO’s eastward expansion for years, ignoring the ways his aggressive behavior has pushed countries like Ukraine closer to the alliance and to the West in general. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and annexed Crimea, and since that year has supported the rebels in a war against Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbass region. Experts say Putin’s aggressive stance toward Ukraine is linked to his broader ambitions to see Russia reclaim the power and influence it enjoyed throughout the region and beyond during the Soviet era.

Russia again on Thursday denied any plans to invade Ukraine, despite its massive military buildup on its next door neighbor.

“There is no ‘Russian invasion’ of Ukraine, which is not planned, which the United States and its allies have announced at the official level since the fall of last year, so statements about ‘Russia’s responsibility for escalation’ cannot be considered otherwise. As an attempt to pressure Russia’s proposals regarding security guarantees and underestimating their value.

Russia has amassed nearly 150,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, according to the Biden administration, which has warned of a Russian invasion It could happen at any moment. On Tuesday, Moscow claimed it would withdraw some troops from the Ukrainian border, but The United States and NATO rejected this He said there were no indications of a halt to the Russian escalation.

The Biden administration warned that Russia was looking for an excuse to invade, and could use secret agents to launch some kind of sabotage to try to justify it.

“Russia says it is withdrawing those forces. We don’t see that happening on the ground. Our information clearly indicates that these forces, including ground forces, aircraft and ships, are preparing to launch an attack on Ukraine in the coming days,” the minister said. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the UN Security Council on Thursday, amid reports of bombing eastern ukraine.