Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the country was dismissed regarding its concern about NATO expansion.
"We emphasized that the security of one nation or a group of nations cannot come at the expense of another's security. This principle is enshrined in international agreements that all parties have ratified," Putin said.
"Yet, in practice, what transpired?" Putin continued. "One NATO expansion after another. We were consistently reassured, 'there's nothing to fear; it doesn't pose a threat to you.' When we expressed our concerns, asserting that we believed it did threaten us, what was the response? Nothing at all. We were simply told, in no uncertain terms, where to go with our opinions. No one bothered to listen or consider our perspective."
Putin said Russia will determine where threats come from.
"We know better what threatens us and what does not. It is our right to determine the degree of our security and the level of threats that may approach us from one side or the other," Putin said.
At the NATO summit this week, the 32 NATO members endorsed a plan to massively ramp up defense spending, from 2% of gross domestic spending to 5% by 2035.
NATO says the military build-up is crucial to deter Russia, which officials warn is rapidly rebuilding its forces depleted by the war in Ukraine and could be ready to attack the alliance in five years.
Russia has been blamed for a major rise in sabotage, cyberattacks, and GPS jamming incidents. European leaders are girding their citizens for the possibility of more.
Information from The Associated Press and AFP was used in this report.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.