On January 2, Ms. Yulia Zhdanova, Head of the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, just made worrying statements about the security situation in the western border area in a latest statement to the media.
According to Ms. Zhdanova, the continuous increase in military activity by NATO member countries close to the State of the Russian-Belarusian Union is creating a risky environment. She warned that unintended military incidents could break out at any time and quickly escalate into a direct armed conflict between Russia and the Western military bloc.
What Moscow is deeply concerned about is not only the military presence, but also the side's attitude of freezing relations.
Ms. Zhdanova emphasized a surprising reality: The vast majority of Western countries today reject any serious discussion efforts, even just to seek measures to minimize collision risks.
This official cited a specific case related to a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that crashed in Poland. When the Russian Ministry of Defense and Foreign Affairs proactively proposed to organize expert consultations to clarify the truth, Warsaw responded with complete silence.
At the security forum of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Russian delegation also did not receive any direct answer. Instead, NATO and EU allies spoke out on behalf of Poland, sending a clear signal that "no professional dialogue will take place".
Explaining this move, the head of the Russian delegation said that this is a systematic political calculation. She said that many European politicians are deliberately exploiting and exaggerating the "threat from Russia".
The purpose of this strategy is to tighten the internal ranks of NATO and the EU, create an excuse to maintain military aid to Ukraine and increase sanctions on Moscow. Ms. Zhdanova concluded that this tough line is being seen by political elites in Europe as the only "protection ticket" to maintain their position and existence in politics.
