BERLIN (Dispatches) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the 80th anniversary of the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union, with a warning about the deteriorating security situation in Europe.
“The whole system of European security has now degraded significantly. Tensions are rising and the risks of a new arms race are becoming real,” he wrote in German newspaper Die Zeit.
“We are missing out on the tremendous opportunities that cooperation offers – all the more important now that we are all facing common challenges, such as the pandemic and its dire social and economic consequences,” Putin said.
Russia, he said, opted for beneficial relations with the EU, believing it is possible to build Europe in accordance with Charles de Gaulle’s idea - “from the Atlantic to the Urals”, or even “from Lisbon to Vladivostok”.
However, the European Union decided to go in a different direction, which resulted in the ascension of Germany to NATO, this “relic of the Cold War” and the subsequent expansion of the bloc into Eastern Europe.
“Since 1999, five more waves of NATO expansion have followed. The organization granted membership to 14 new countries, including several republics of the former Soviet Union, which effectively buried hopes of creating a continent without dividing lines,” Putin explained.
This policy has forced many countries to make an unnatural choice between Russia and the West, he wrote.
“The Ukrainian tragedy of 2014 is an example of the consequences that this aggressive policy has led to. Europe actively supported the unconstitutional armed coup in Ukraine. This was where it all started. Why was it necessary to do this? Then incumbent (Ukrainian) president (Viktor) Yanukovych had already accepted all the demands of the opposition. Why did the USA organize the coup and the European

countries weak-heartedly support it, provoking a split within Ukraine and the withdrawal of Crimea?” Putin said.
Putin said Moscow is ready to restore partnership with Europe, since there are many topics of mutual interests.
“I reiterate that Russia is in favor of restoring a comprehensive partnership with Europe. We have many topics of mutual interest. These include security and strategic stability, healthcare and education, digitalization, energy, culture, science and technology, and the resolution of climate and environmental issues,” he added.
The Russian president wrote the article days after his summit with U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in Geneva.