MOSCOW (AFP) – Russia said Sunday it wants “mutually respectful” relations with the United States and denied posing a threat to Ukraine, as the UK said it was preparing fresh sanctions against Moscow.
Tensions have soared between Moscow and Washington after Western governments accused Russia of amassing tens of thousands of troops on its border with ex-Soviet Ukraine.
“We want good, equal, mutually respectful relations with the United States, like with every country in the world,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian TV on Sunday.
He added, however, that Russia doesn’t want to remain in a position “where our security is infringed daily”.
Citing the encroachment of NATO near its eastern border, Russia has put forward security demands to Washington and the U.S.-led military alliance.
These include a guarantee that NATO will not admit new members, in particular Ukraine, and the United States will not establish new military bases in ex-Soviet countries.
Russia has also demanded a pullback of NATO forces deployed to eastern European and ex-Soviet countries that joined the alliance after the Cold War.
Lavrov said that NATO’s line of defense “continues moving eastwards” and has come “very close” to Ukraine, which according to him, is “not ready” to join NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the West to avoid stirring “panic”, while his foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said it was important to remain “firm” in talks with Moscow.
Britain said it is preparing to unveil sanctions against Moscow that would target companies close to the Kremlin.
“There will be nowhere to hide for Putin’s oligarchs,” UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Sunday.
Putin on Friday held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s Boris Johnson is expected to speak with the Russian leader next week.
Russia has repeatedly denied planning an attack and said it’s not looking to start a war.
“We don’t want war. We don’t need it at all,” Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russia’s powerful Security Council, told reporters on Sunday.
He added that Russia poses no threat to Ukraine.
“Even the Ukrainians, including officials say there is no threat,” Patrushev said.