Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Sunday that Russia has no desire to go to war with NATO countries.
Putin called claims that Russia might attack NATO “absurd and a figure of speech” in an interview with a local TV station.
Moscow and NATO countries “have no territorial claims against each other,” he said, emphasizing that Russia does not seek to deteriorate relations with NATO members.
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Instead, Russia wants to strengthen ties with these countries, he said.
Putin slammed the scheme of some Western countries to launch a color revolution in his country, saying it will never work in Russia, which he describes as a “free, independent, and sovereign state.”
Putin stated about US-Russia relations, “They will have to find common ground with us because they will have to take us into account.”
Meanwhile, the Freedom of Russia Legion, a Russian anti-Putin paramilitary group based in Ukraine, claimed responsibility for a cross-border attack a few kilometers (miles) into Russia’s Belgorod region on Sunday.
The terrorist group claimed to have destroyed a platoon stronghold of Russian troops near Terebreno village, without specifying whether it destroyed infrastructure or killed soldiers, and claimed to have left mines behind.
Reuters was unable to verify the group’s claims that it was formed in spring 2022 to fight Putin’s forces from within the ranks of Ukraine’s armed forces, which has previously denied involvement in attacks in Belgorod by Freedom of Russia Legion and another Russian anti-Putin group.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region, which is frequently attacked by Ukrainian forces, said earlier on Sunday that Terebreno was under fire from Ukraine’s Armed Forces and that a “shooting battle” was taking place on the village’s outskirts.
He stated that no civilians had been injured, but that three houses and power lines had been damaged. On Saturday, he announced on the Telegram messaging app that 19 villages or farms had been attacked by Ukrainian forces.
