Russia Sends Sharp Warning to NATO on Its 75th Anniversary

"Ukraine Crisis, May Cross Borders"

Russia warned NATO, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, on the 4th (local time) that "the Ukraine crisis could cross borders."

Alexander Grushko, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, said in an interview with Russian media on the same day, "If even one or two NATO member countries take adventurous actions, the Ukraine crisis could escalate beyond geographical boundaries to a completely different scale."

He also criticized recent remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the 'deployment of troops to Ukraine,' saying, "It shows that the West is prepared to follow the path of escalating tensions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Deputy Minister Grushko cited a past case where Russia proposed a security guarantee agreement to NATO but was rejected, adding that since NATO defines Russia as the 'most important and direct threat,' discussing the possibility of such an agreement is meaningless.

He said that whether NATO is preparing for military confrontation with Russia should be asked directly to NATO, while clearly stating that Russia has no intention of military conflict.

Other Russian diplomatic officials have made similar remarks. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claimed in an interview with TASS news agency that "NATO is using Ukraine as an anti-Russia tool." She cited as an example NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's proposal the day before to change military support for Ukraine from a voluntary to a binding manner.

Alexander Tokovinin, Russian Ambassador to Belgium, pointed out that "the hybrid war NATO has waged against Russia is an unprecedented phenomenon with no precedent even in the 40-year Cold War history," noting that the safety mechanisms established during the Cold War era between the former Soviet Union and the United States to control the situation have been destroyed, complicating the situation.

However, he added, "There is a channel open through the Russian Embassy in Belgium to exchange information."