According to RT, Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that peace and stability in Europe can only be achieved if the continent builds a security system that guarantees all countries, without harming the interests of any country.
Speaking at an international forum gathering senior security officials held in Moscow on May 28, Mr. Putin emphasized: "Our approach has always been principle and consistent. The new security architecture must be equal and not disjointed, meaning that every country must receive solid guarantees of security - but must not harm the security and interests of another country.
The statement reiterates Russia's long-standing stance on building a comprehensive security mechanism for Europe, while criticizing Western countries for expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO) to the east since the 1990s.
Russia said the move violated previous commitments to the Soviet Union in an attempt to gain support for German reunification. Russia also considers the intention to admit Ukraine to NATO as one of the main causes of the current conflict with Kiev.
Russian officials have repeatedly called NATO a hostile organization and a tool to serve the geopolitical interests of the United States. They also said that the European Union (EU), under the influence of NATO, has left its original mission of promoting economic integration and increasingly prioritizing military issues.
This week, EU member states approved a plan to borrow 150 billion euros ($170 billion) to finance arms production and military procurement. Brussels described it as a response to the threat suspected to be from Russia. However, Moscow has denied the accusations and said the EU is inflating the risk to rationalize the shift of the budget from social programs to military reinforcements.
The forum, where Mr Putin spoke, has been held annually by the Russian Security Council since 2010, gathering policymakers from dozens of countries and organizations outside the West to discuss security threats such as terrorism, cross-border crimes and global geopolitical instability.
