'NATO not ensuring security in Europe, no reason for it to exist': Top Russian Diplomat

Amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission, Roman Babushkin on Friday said that re is reason for NATO (rth Atlantic Treaty Organization) to exist, stating that institution is t ensuring security in Europe.

In an exclusive conversation with Republic TV, Babushkin said, "NATO is trying to resolve its biggest issue of identity because after Cold War, re's reason for it to exist. What y are trying to do is give birth to some purposes...NATO is t ensuring security in Europe. It is impossible without Russia."

Babushkin said that expansion of NATO is an existential threat to Russia. "Under US leership, it can deploy missiles in immediate proximity to Russian borders, conduct military exercises, deploy nuclear weapons in n-nuclear ."

"Russia has reason to inve Ukraine. Our troops in border are deployed at our own territory due to nature of escalated activities in Ukraine," Babushkin ded.

'Russia has plans of inving Ukraine': Babushkin

Roman Babushkin furr said that President Vlimir Putin's ministration has ' plans' to inve Ukraine as was being claimed by United States. "Russia has absolutely plans of inving Ukraine. Our troops at border area are in our territory and absolutely on legal grounds," said Russian Embassy's Deputy Chief Of Mission.

Watch interview here:

US President Joe Biden h earlier said that he would make it 'very, very difficult' for Russia to take military action on Ukraine as US intelligence determined that Kremlin is planning an invasion that could begin as early as this year.

Tensions between Russia and United States of America - generally considered one of biggest simmering divides in world - are at an escalated state. election of Joe Biden into White House has seen a significant pick-up in American rhetoric against Vlimir Putin and Moscow has t backed off from posturing aggressively on boundaries with Ukraine. As has been case for deces, two Cold War rivals have generally refrained from being involved in direct conflict with each or, and this time as well, y're working through ir respective coalitions.

Babushkin underlined that Russia's defence budget is 20 times less than that of US, and asked, "Who is in a better position to intimidate?"

" West intimidates itself with mysterious Russian threats that do t exist. This is only way how diversified West can be consolidated and can be kept under American leership even at expense of ecomic interest," he told Republic Media Network.

Russia-Ukraine tensions

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been running high for past few months since Moscow amassed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border, rousing fears of an invasion. Meanwhile, Russia has asserted that it has plans to attack and rejected US' demand to vacate its forces, saying it has right to deploy m wherever necessary.

Moscow has demanded security guarantees from West that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and or erstwhile Soviet nations, and roll back alliance's military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. Washington and its allies have rejected to provide such a pledge but said that y are rey for talks.

Im: Republic World