Russian President Vladimir Putin says the EU has no reason to worry about potential Moscow aggression. He denies that the Kremlin is preparing for an attack and says that under US President Donald Trump, America began to “listen to Russia,” reports the pro-Kremlin outlet RIA Novosti.
Putin made these statements during a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China.
On 31 August, he arrived in China, Russia’s main economic partner, which provides the Kremlin with unprecendent support during its war against Ukraine, on a four-day visit. It came just as US President Donald Trump’s deadline for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop the war has expired.
Trump’s deadline and Russia’s new attacks
Putin claims that any talk about Moscow planning to attack the EU is “Western fiction.”
“They are specialists in fairy tales and horror movies. Any rational person perfectly understands that Russia is not going to attack anyone,” he said.
Before the beginning of Russia’s all-out war on Ukraine in 2022, Putin also repeatedly denied any plans for an attack or invasion in his official statements. Russian officials consistently rejected accusations of preparing military actions against Ukraine, calling the buildup of troops near the border “unfounded tension-mongering.”
It was only on 22 February 2022, that Putin announced the start of the so-called “special military operation” on Ukrainian territory, effectively acknowledging the military actions that had already begun.
The war in Ukraine – “protection of its own interests”
The Russian ruler also justified aggression in Ukraine, claiming that Moscow is allegedly “forced to protect people who tie their fate to Russia.”
“Russia’s only goal in Ukraine is the protection of its own interests,” Putin added.
He also shifted responsibility for attacks on Ukraine on its authorities: “Moscow endured Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy for a long time and then began to respond seriously.”
Lies about EU integration and the Zaporizhzhia NPP
Putin assured that Russia has “never opposed Ukraine’s EU membership” but called Ukraine’s accession to NATO unacceptable. He also allowed for the possibility of a tripartite cooperation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant involving the US and Ukraine.
Experts emphasize that such statements are part of a Kremlin information operation aimed at the West and the Global South, intended to justify three years of aggression and attacks on civilians.
In addition, Putin praised the administration of US President Donald Trump, which refused to provide free aid to Ukraine and introduced no new sanctions against Russia. According to him, under Trump, America began to “listen to Russia,” a claim he said was confirmed by the Alaska summit.