Lavrov: Russia prepared to formalise pledge not to attack Europe

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has claimed that Russia does not plan to attack Europe and is prepared to record this "in writing in a legal document".

Source: TASS, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet, citing Lavrov at a roundtable event with ambassadors on 11 December, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Lavrov claimed that Russia has no aggressive plans towards NATO members or EU countries and spoke of "mutual collective guarantees".

Quote: "We are not pursuing – president [Putin] has said this clearly – any aggressive plans towards either NATO members or the European Union members. We are ready to fix the relevant guarantees in writing in a legal document." [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda doesn't recognise Putin as president – ed.]

More details: Lavrov also said that Moscow has passed to the United States its proposals on collective security guarantees under which Ukraine must become a "non-aligned, neutral and non-nuclear state". He again warned that any European contingent in Ukraine would be considered by Russia a "legitimate military target".

Background:

• On 2 December, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that he has no intention of waging war against Europe, while also stating that Russia is "ready" for war if Europe "wants to fight".
• At the end of November, Vladimir Putin asserted that Russia is prepared to state in writing that it does not intend to attack Europe.

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