Russian diplomat describes NATO expansion as an 'existential threat' to Moscow's security

At a press conference on Wednesday, Roman Babushkin, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of the Russian Federation in New Delhi, stated that NATO expansion became an ‘existential threat’ to Russia, as thousands of tons of military equipment, and combat weaponry have been supplied to Ukraine in recent past by the NATO allied nations. As Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees to formally recognise Donetsk and Luhansk Republics as independent, Babushkin iterated that the West, including the United States, has been exercising their influence in domestic affairs in post-Soviet space, including Ukraine. 

An estimated 2.7 billion worth of weapons have been supplied to Kyiv since 2014, and the Ukrainian government has been carrying out ‘genocide’ in the volatile eastern flank of Ukraine against the pro-Russian forces, said Babushkin at the presser. The independence of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk was a long pending issue, said the Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of the Russian Federation in India, adding that no diplomatic dialogue or a multifront negotiation with NATO or the West was making headway.

Babushkin further noted a moratorium on missile deployments was flouted by Ukrainian territory and Russia’s latest move was an only option “to save the lives of civilians in eastern Ukraine,” Russia’s charge d'affaires said in New Delhi. All mechanisms of multilateral talks had hit a deadlock, and there had been sweeping measures such as expelling Russian diplomats, he added. 

Russia’ charge d'affiars in New Delhi accuses US of 'regional hegemony'

Deriding the US of regional hegemony, Babushkin stressed that Washington “intents to change the world map under its leadership and desires a unipolar globe.” He also lambasted Washington for misusing the unilateral sanctions against Russia and other nations, as he asserted that the EU had lost its ‘independence’ of foreign policy and decision making as "manipulative Western policies" are coming into play.

Babushkin rejected claims of the West that the conflict on the Ukrainian border stems from “expansionist Russia,” categorically denying claims of Russian invasion as being claimed by the US, NATO, and the West. He rather insisted that European stability “would not be possible without Russia.”

Russian leader Putin had also said at state conferences that he does not fear NATO expansion but accused the United States and NATO of using Ukraine as a ‘pawn’ to threaten the national security of Moscow. “But it is already clear that Russia’s fundamental concerns have been ignored,” Putin had asserted in a state TV address. He had asked NATO and the West to heed Russian security guarantees demanded by Moscow in its proposals that sought to check NATO’s military presence in the region as the only diplomatic way of averting further conflict. Moscow’s decision to recognise the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.