According to local media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent a letter to several Western countries stating that Russia is “deeply concerned” about escalating tensions along its western border. He cited an agreement reached within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which, according to Lavrov, emphasizes that states should choose their military alliances, but also that they should not bolster their own security at the expense of other states. The West, Russia believes, is doing this by expanding into Eastern Europe and not ruling out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.
The letter demands answers on how each country interprets its obligations in this context, and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod confirmed that a similar letter had been sent to Denmark, according to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation website.
Russia criticized NATO's actions regarding the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, while the Danish Foreign Minister stated that Russia must respect the right of other countries to choose their alliances, describing this as a red line for Denmark, the rest of Europe, and the world. He added that if they do so, Denmark is ready to engage in dialogue with Russia on how to achieve security for all Europeans.
When asked by a journalist whether the Russian message was considered a threat, the Danish Foreign Minister denied that it was, saying that it was currently being discussed with allies.
Mathilde Kimmer, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's correspondent in Russia and Ukraine, sees the message as a Russian attempt to put pressure on countries like Denmark. She commented: "...it is obviously frightening for a small country like Denmark to receive such a direct message when it is nothing more than a member of NATO or the OSCE. The Russians tried appealing to the EU and NATO and their request was rejected, and now they are contacting countries directly on an individual basis..."“
Russia has deployed some 130,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, while NATO, led by the United States, has accused Russia of preparing to invade Ukraine; Russia maintains that it is the wronged party and that NATO is acting aggressively.
Russia demands that NATO withdraw troops and weapons from Eastern Europe, among other things, including that Ukraine never be admitted to the NATO alliance.
In mid-December, Russia sent NATO a list of 17 demands that would be met in the event of a de-escalation. Last week, the United States and NATO sent their written response to Russia, which was not satisfactory to Sergei Lavrov or President Putin. Last night, Putin accused the West of ignoring Russia's security interests and trying to lure Russia into war.
Source: DR
