Putin flunky warns Russia will put ‘gun to America’s head’ as tensions grow – New York Post

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for increasing tensions in Eastern Europe and suggested a military-technical response if his request for security guarantees is not met while a media mouthpiece for the Kremlin warned that Russia will hold a gun to Americas head if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO.

In a speech Tuesday to Russian defense ministry officials, Putin said Moscow needs long-term, legally binding guarantees from the West that the US and NATO will not deploy missilesystems in Ukraine, rather than verbal assurances.

Russia has massed as many as 175,000 troops as well as heavy military equipment on its western border with Ukraine, a move that many fear is a prelude to an invasion as early as next month.

Putin said NATO has continued to expand its footprint in Europe since the end of the Cold Wardespite assurances from the West that Moscows fears of encroachment are groundless.

What is happening now, tensions that are building up in Europe, is their [the US and NATOs] fault every step of the way, Putin said.

Russia has been forced to respond at every step, he added. The situation kept worsening and worsening, deteriorating and deteriorating. And here we are today, in a situation when were forced to resolve it somehow.

Putin vowed if the US and its allies continue their obviously aggressive stance, Russia would take appropriate retaliatory military-technical measures, adding that it has every right to do so.

At the same time, the Russian leader said he hopes that constructive, meaningful talks will lead to a resolutionthat all sides can be on board with.

Armed conflicts, bloodshed is not our choice, and we dont want such developments. We want to resolve issues by political and diplomatic means, Putin said.

President Biden, who held a virtual summit with Putin earlier this month, has warned that the US would impose substantial economic sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine.

Dmitry Kiselev, a Putinconfidant and the head of state-controlled media outlet Rossiya Segodnya, took a more militant approach in an interview with the BBC.

He said if the West fails to deliver the security guarantees, Russia will deploy missiles.

But this is your choice. We dont want this,Kiselev said in the interview published on Monday.

If Ukraine ever joins NATO or if NATO develops military infrastructure there, we will hold a gun to Americas head. We have the military capability, he said.

Russia has the best weapons in the world hypersonic ones. Theyd reach America as fast as US or British weapons could reach Moscow from Ukraine. It would be the Cuban Missile Crisis all over again, but with a shorter flight time for the missiles, he threatened.

Kiselevadded Moscow was prepared to defend the red linesPutin laid down last month against the deployment of missiles in Ukraine.

One hundred percent, because for Russia this is a question of life or death, he said.

US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried, the top US diplomat in Europe, said the administration isprepared to discuss those proposals that Russia put on the table.

There are some things were prepared to work on, and we do believe there is merit in having discussion, Donfried told reporters after a visit to Kiev, Moscow and Brussels.

There are other things in those documents that the Russians know will be unacceptable, she said, without specifying which ones.

Talks could begin in January, Donfried added.

With Post wires

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Putin flunky warns Russia will put 'gun to America's head' as tensions grow - New York Post