Claims About Russia's Alleged Plan to Attack Europe After Ukraine Are 'Nonsense'

During a working visit to the Russian town of Torzhok in the Tver Region on Wednesday, Putin met with military pilots.

"This is utter nonsense - the possibility of attacking other countries such as Poland, the Baltic States, and the Czech Republic is being used to instill fear," Putin said. "It is total nonsense and simply a way to dupe the population and squeeze more sums of money out of them, burdening them with this unnecessary threat."

The president added that satellites of the United States are "afraid of big and strong Russia," but they do it for nothing as Russia has "no aggressive intentions against these states."

"This is utter nonsense - the possibility of attacking some other countries, Poland, the Baltic States, the Czechs are being frightened. It is just nonsense and another way to deceive their population and to extract additional expenses from people, to make them bear this burden on their shoulders, and that is it," Putin said.

Putin stressed that he was certain that the Russian Armed Forces would fulfill their assigned objectives.

The head of state spoke with military pilots during his working trip. One of them told Putin that the Russian Armed Forces would fulfill any assigned task.

“On behalf of all servicemen, let me express my deepest gratitude and respect to you and reassure you that you can count on the personnel of the Armed Forces. We will fulfill any task you set, we will not let you down,” the pilot said.

“I have no doubt,” Putin replied.

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Representatives of all the peoples of Russia show their best on the battlefield, the president said.

"Representatives of all confessions and all peoples of Russia show their best on the battlefield today," the president said.

Russia Never Moved to NATO Borders, But They Moved Closer

It was not Russia that moved to the borders of NATO countries, it is them who are getting closer, and Russia is just protecting its people, the president said.

"They came right up to our borders. Did we move toward their borders, those countries that were part of the NATO bloc? We did not touch anyone - and they were moving toward us. Did we go across the ocean to the borders of the United States? No, they are approaching us, and they have come very close. What are we doing? We are only protecting our people on our historical territories," Putin said.

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Russia, in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine, is protecting people on its historical territories, and it would not have happened if a security system in Europe had been created after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the president clarified.

"What we do in the course of the special military operation is that we are protecting our people who live on our historical territories," Putin said.

"If after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as Russia had proposed, completely new security relations in Europe had been built, nothing like today would have happened. They would have just been taking into account our security interests, which we have been talking about year after year, in fact, decade after decade. They totally disregard it," Putin added.

Russia is a multiethnic and multifaith country, everyone should be treated with respect, the president stressed.

“At the same time, we must never forget that we are a multiethnic, multifaith country. We must always treat with respect - and this is what we do - our brothers, representatives of other faiths: Muslims, Jews, everyone,” Putin told the pilots.

Putin Dismisses 'Nonsense' Claims of Alleged Russian Plan to Attack Europe After Ukraine

Russia Never Moved to NATO Borders, But They Moved Closer