From Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow has never opposed Ukraine’s potential membership in the European Union, stressing once again that the real “red line” for Russia remains Kyiv’s possible accession to NATO.
“Russia does not want to attack anyone,” Putin repeated, dismissing claims that Moscow seeks to expand further into Europe as either a provocation or a sign of “complete incompetence.”
On Ukraine’s demand for security guarantees, Putin insisted that any peace agreement must not compromise Russia’s own security:
“It is up to Ukraine to decide how to guarantee its security. But its security cannot be ensured at the expense of other countries, including Russia.”
The Kremlin leader also contrasted his dealings with the Trump administration to the current U.S. government, suggesting that Donald Trump’s team at least “listens” to Russia’s perspective on the roots of the war.
“We hope this constructive dialogue will continue. Under the previous Biden administration, no one wanted to listen to us,” Putin was quoted as saying by Interfax.
Meanwhile, Kyiv confirmed that President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet in Paris with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. According to the Financial Times, Thursday’s talks will focus precisely on the issue of “security guarantees” for Ukraine.
