Putin says Russia is open to diplomacy but won't compromise on its security

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia was always open to diplomacy but put its own national security interests first and would continue to strengthen its military in the face of what he called a difficult international situation.

Putin, speaking in a video statement released to coincide with the annual Defender of the Fatherland Day, did not mention his standoff with the West over Ukraine which has seen Western sanctions imposed on Russia after he decided to recognise the independence of two breakaway Ukrainian regions.

But he used the appearance to send a message to the West about his stance over the issue all the same.

"Our country is always open to a direct and honest dialogue and ready to search for diplomatic solutions to the most complicated issues," said Putin.

"But I want to repeat that Russia's interests and the security of our people are unconditional. So, we will continue to strengthen and modernise our army and navy."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday he had cancelled a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov planned for Thursday after Moscow's recognition of two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent entities.

Blinken said he had agreed to meet with Lavrov, his counterpart, only if Russia did not invade Ukraine.

The United States has accused Putin of massing more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in preparation for what it fears could be a full-scale invasion. Russia has repeatedly denied plans for such an attack but says it has a duty to protect people living in the two breakaway regions.

"We can see the difficult international situation and the threats posed by current challenges, such as the erosion of the arms control system and NATO’s military activities," said Putin.

"And yet, Russia’s appeals to build a system based on equal and indivisible security that would reliably defend all countries, remain unanswered."

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[holaclive]

Putin has complicated the situation. He should have said Ukraine has weapons of mass destruction and just invaded

[أعشقكياعراق-زض]

I support Russia for two logical reasons. First, I don't believe anything the Anglo-Saxon American-British alliance says after the lie of the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, and the invasion of Iraq in violation of the International law. Second, the Anglo-Saxon alliance is responsible for the Ukrainian crisis. In 1991, America and Gorbachev concluded an agreement not to expand NATO east to Russia's borders, but America deployed nuclear weapons close to Russia's borders and does not accept the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in South America, the US backyard. Peace upon all Nations, and May Allah (God) Bless All.

[sshah]

no one will be the winner in this war everyone will lose

[lwzfog]

"I think no one knows what humanitarian intervention means. If I were a person who was non-American, I would think humanitarian intervention is just another name for United States imperialism." Stanley Hauerwas

[TheGacia]

Came on Rusia you can do better business with the rest of the world, Rusia do the best for your own country!!

[kalabala]

If you walk into Iraq, Afghanistan etc, it is not aggression but if he walked into liberate suffering Russians, that is considered as aggression. Even the Words in the dictionary have got different meanings. Ethnic minority is suppressed in Sri Lanka because you lot united two kingdoms for your convenience but when you leave, you left that country as one to let the minority to be at the mercy of merciless majority. Now you turned a blind eye to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. What sort of attitude is this??

[johnlenin]

The final version of the Minsk agreements was signed by Ukraine and approved by the UN Security Council in February 2015, but Ukraine has not implemented a single clause of this document. For seven years, Russia has been calling for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, while Ukraine has been sabotaging the implementation by putting forward conditions that directly contradict the text of the document.
For seven years Russia urged Western countries to persuade the Kiev government to fulfill its obligations to peacefully resolve the civil war in eastern Ukraine, Western countries did not do so, and instead Western countries continued to supply the Kiev government with weapons and military instructors.
In January 2022, a Russian political party sent a proposal to the parliament to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk, this was done publicly and was covered in the media as a last warning for the West to influence its pets. So what did Russia hear in response? On February 9, 2022 the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said that Ukraine would not implement the Minsk agreements "on Russian conditions, " although there are no Russian conditions there, Russia has always called for the implementation of the Minsk agreements clearly on paragraphs.
Finally, on February 17, the president of Ukraine stated that he was not satisfied with the Minsk agreements in their current form, although Ukraine had put its signature on the document in this very form.
Most importantly, the U.S. refused to meet Russia's key demand: written guarantees that Ukraine would not become a NATO member, although Washington was well aware of how important this was for Russia.
So, yes, Russia followed the diplomat's path for a very long time, but its demands and concerns were once again ignored.

[dominationsrebellion]

франция, единственная европейская страна, не оккупированная американскими солдатами, должна покинуть этот забавный союз НАТО. 👊🏻

[fadyNUFC]

The difference between western leaders and putin is when putin speaks everyone listens...

[drazoric]

Comrades! *(Those from the Motherland)* We do not want war *(Russian might would crush you)* We seek peace *(pieces of your territory)* but we are not willing to compromise our security *(we will do what we want and there's nothing you can do about it)*
*:I speak Soviet Russian Putinese*

[Shaban_Interactive]

the whole world clearly sees that they don't want to understand or don't care about Putin's concerns. How can a person be clearer than Putin?

[flame.]

Americans! First you forced Ukraine to kill all its potential, nuclear weapons, then you wanted to extract shale gas in the Donbass, but people rebelled. Therefore, you put chestnuts in the fire on Maidan. Shall we say, seven at one stroke! At-a-boy!

[umarmohammed]

I think the suspense of this war is the worst. Make your move get it over with.

[antoflynn]

Get it over with fight or flight the world is sick of this now 😒

[Мидгард-цн]

Why are you not interested in the opinion of the citizens of Donbass? They wanted to become republics and friends of Russia 8 years ago. Donbass, like Crimea, do not want to be part of the Bandera (fascist) Ukraine.
There, as in the Crimea, thanks to Russia's help, there will be no war.

[Ykkk-vx]

If American’s aggression on Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan & Iran is rational why not Russian’s present act. The losers are the innocent civilians and the least thing we can do is just pray for their safety in such crisis.

[katrinradioma]

Putin's behavior is unacceptable. Donbas, Crimea is Ukraine. Putin, go retire.

[paulhoskin]

Someone just like Boris says one thing does the ipposite

[oxygen]

At this point i could care less if they start a war, not like we got anything to lose anyway

[chezzylee]

That's fresh coming from America that's had more wars in recent years than anyone else 😂😂😂