MOSCOW, Dec 30 - RIA Novosti. The European Union could do much more to prevent escalation in Europe and cooperation with Russia, said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.
"(The EU), accompanied by baseless accusations, has fixed our country in its doctrinal guidelines as a strategic challenge and perhaps the main source of some hybrid threats to the security of the European Union. Here is a brief summary of the concrete steps taken by Brussels in this direction. I would like to emphasize once again: if the EU Brussels sincerely wanted, wished, could have done much more to prevent the development of the situation in Europe according to an unacceptable scenario for Russia, and not only for Russia, but also in general for the development of our cooperation between Russia and the EU. Nothing has been done for this," Zakharova said at a briefing.
On December 17, Russia published draft treaties with the United States and agreements with NATO member states, which include, in particular, provisions on mutual security guarantees in Europe, on the non-deployment of medium-range and shorter-range missiles in each other's reach and refusal to further expand NATO, including at the expense of the former Soviet republics. As Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti, if NATO and the United States do not respond to Russia's demand for security guarantees, this could lead to a new round of confrontation.
