On April 26, TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia cannot be seen as a "main threat" to Europe in the context of ongoing regional security debates.
Speaking to journalist Pavel Zarubin of Vesti channel, Mr. Peskov emphasized that Russia is an Asia-Europe country, with close historical and geographical ties with Europe. According to him, this characteristic makes it inappropriate to consider Moscow as the biggest threat to the region.
According to the Kremlin, the approach of considering Russia as a major threat stems mainly from political and security differences, rather than from structural factors such as geography or history. Moscow believes that such assessments could increase tensions, while not fully reflecting Russia's role and position in the region.
In recent years, relations between Russia and many European countries have undergone many changes, especially related to geopolitical and security issues. Some Western countries consider Russia a major challenge to regional order, while Russia has repeatedly rejected and said that this view is one-sided.
The Kremlin emphasized that Russia still maintains deep links with Europe in many fields, including economy, culture and history. From Moscow's point of view, these factors show that Russia cannot be separated from the common structure of the continent, despite the current differences.
The Russian side also believes that maintaining dialogue and seeking cooperation mechanisms is still necessary to minimize the risk of confrontation. In the context of the unstable regional security environment, Russia calls for a more balanced approach instead of increasing confrontation.
Mr. Peskov's statement was made as debates about Russia's role in the European security structure have not shown signs of cooling down.
