SOCHI (Dispatches) - Russia has legitimate fears over the risk of American military hardware being stationed close to its borders, the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, has said, insisting he still hopes talks with Washington can ease tensions.
Speaking alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a press conference in Sochi on Wednesday, Putin said that “it would be criminal inaction on our side to spinelessly watch all that’s taking place” when it comes to the prospect of neighboring Ukraine joining NATO.
According to him, “Russia conducts peace-loving foreign policy, but we have a right to provide for our own safety,” cautioning that the U.S.-led military bloc’s weapons could be deployed further and further eastwards if Kiev’s long-standing hopes for membership were granted.
However, Putin added, negotiations held the day before with American President Joe Biden could still help to de-escalate tensions that have flared between Moscow and Washington in recent weeks. “The talks were very open, substantive, and constructive. I hope that the American side sees the results the same way. We have the possibility of continuing the dialogue, that’s the most important thing,” the Russian leader added.
Asked about the possibility of Moscow launching an invasion against Ukraine, Putin said the question was “provocative,” insisting that his country would act only in self-defense.
“We are, of course, concerned about the potential membership of Ukraine in NATO, because that would result in military bases and troops being placed in the territory of Ukraine,” he added.
Officials in Kiev and Washington have issued a series of warnings in recent weeks, claiming that Russia could launch an all-out offensive against its neighbor.
The Kremlin has consistently rejected the claims, with Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, blasting the purported invasion plans as “baseless,” insisting the rhetoric is part of a US-led “disinformation” campaign. The top official also mocked satellite imagery used to evidence the reports in Western media, pointing out the photographs showed military hardware hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border, closer to Belarus.

Russian Jets Turn French
Warplanes Away Over Black Sea

Russia’s Su-27 fighter jets were scrambled to escort two tactical fighter jets - a Mirage 2000 and a Rafale, and a C-135 aerial refueling tanker belonging to the French Air and Space Force over the Black Sea, the National Defense Management Center said on Wednesday.
“The crews of Russian fighter jets identified aerial targets as two tactical fighter jets - a Mirage 2000 and a Rafale, and a C-135 aerial refueling tanker belonging to the French Air and Space Force, and escorted them over the Black Sea. After the foreign warplanes made a U-turn from Russia’s state border, the Russian fighter jets safely returned to their home airfield,” the statement said.