MOSCOW: Russia on Friday denied any intention of attacking NATO, and blamed the alliance for escalating tensions in the region.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, responded to a NATO Summit declaration labeling Russia as the primary and direct threat to Allied security.
Zakharova accused NATO of attempting to validate its relevance and bolster Washington’s influence over European allies.
Western leaders have consistently warned that President Vladimir Putin might escalate to attacking NATO nations in central and eastern Europe if unchecked in Ukraine.
Russian army claimed on Thursday that it had captured another village in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the latest territorial gain for Moscow’s slowly advancing armed forces.
The Russian defence ministry confirmed that its troops had seized control of Voskhod, located approximately 30 kilometers northwest of Donetsk City.
This development underscores Russia’s continued military operations in the region, which it claims to have annexed despite international condemnation and sanctions.
The conflict has seen intense fighting across the Donetsk region, with Kyiv describing the current period as witnessing some of the fiercest battles since the onset of hostilities. Despite Russian assertions of progress, neither side has achieved a decisive breakthrough, with both Moscow and Kyiv reporting large numbers of casualties.
