In brief
At a Moscow roundtable on the militarization of Europe, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said the country had no plans to attack any European nation, urging dialogue that incorporates Russian interests. He criticised Western rhetoric on inevitable conflict and warned that Russia would only respond if provoked. His remarks were accompanied by comments from Yulia Zhdanova, who challenged NATO’s "escalation management" concept.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday, Nov. 9, that Russia had no intention, plans or reason to attack European countries during a roundtable titled "Militarization of Europe: What Next?" held in Moscow under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co‑Operation in Europe.
His comments were also posted on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website, where he stressed that Moscow would be "forced to respond" only if subjected to aggression and that Russia posed no threat to anyone in the near, medium or long term.
"Russia has no intention, plans or reason to attack European countries," Ryabkov said.
Ryabkov criticised Western governments for treating the possibility of a military conflict in Europe as “almost predetermined and inevitable.” He also said European leaders had not genuinely sought to end the Russia‑Ukraine war, arguing that the West had pushed Ukraine toward war by abandoning reasonable solutions.
He called for dialogue based on equality, indivisible security, pragmatism and mutual consideration of interests, adding that long‑term stability in Europe requires taking into account the interests of Russia and its allies.
At the same event, Yulia Zhdanova, head of the Russian delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, said European citizens had no vision of the future other than an inevitable conflict with Russia.
Zhdanova described NATO’s "escalation management" concept as harmful, claiming it encourages NATO and the EU to act recklessly while doing little to reduce military risks.
