Russia confirms readiness to handle security developments in Europe
Moscow, September 30 (KUNA) -- Russia affirmed on Wednesday that it does not consider itself a threat to European countries, while at the same time expressing its readiness to address what it described as security challenges and increasing military movements in its vicinity. The RIA Novosti news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Moscow “does not pose a threat to European countries,” warning that the continuation of tensions and military movements in the region could have repercussions for European security. The ministry pointed to what it described as the enhancement of NATO’s military infrastructure, alongside military exercises conducted near the Russian border, noting that some of these exercises involve scenarios that could affect regional security.
In a related development, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had lodged a protest with Denmark regarding an incident it said involved a Danish Air Force helicopter performing maneuvers near a Russian frigate in the southwestern Baltic Sea. The ministry stated that the Danish ambassador was informed that Moscow considered those movements a violation of maritime navigation rules, adding its belief that the recurrence of such incidents could heighten tensions in the Baltic region. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Danish accusations against Moscow concerning the incident.
On the level of Russian-European relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry downplayed the significance of the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his German counterpart, explaining that, in its view, the meeting did not constitute sufficient indication of a resumption of dialogue between the two countries. It added that the meeting addressed several contentious issues between Moscow and Berlin, while relations between the two sides continue to reflect divergent positions on a number of files.
Regarding Russian-Chinese affairs, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received an invitation to participate in the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, noting the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit.
These remarks come amid ongoing tensions between Russia and several European countries in the wake of the war with Ukraine and security developments in the Baltic Sea region. (End) D.A.N. / M.A.H.A.
