Russia said on Monday that remarks by Nato’s most senior military officer that the US-led military alliance could consider a “pre-emptive strike” were extremely irresponsible and an attempt to move towards escalation.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone told the Financial Times that Nato was looking at stepping up its response to hybrid warfare from Moscow and said a “pre-emptive strike” could be considered a “defensive action”.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the remarks were seen by Moscow as “an extremely irresponsible step, indicating the alliance’s readiness to continue moving towards escalation”.
“We see in it a deliberate attempt to undermine efforts to overcome the Ukrainian crisis,” Zakharova said. “The people making such statements should be aware of the risks and possible consequences, including for the alliance members themselves.”
Meanwhile, European leaders rallied to show support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday after US-Ukrainian talks to revise a peace proposal that initially favoured Russia, while Donald Trump’s envoy headed to Moscow to brief the Kremlin.
Zelensky was warmly received by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, and the two joined a call with about a dozen other European leaders including those of Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland and the EU.
“The war must end as soon as possible. Much now depends on the involvement of every leader,” Zelensky posted on X.
Macron said talks were ongoing but only Ukraine can decide on territory, in reference to unpopular land concessions to Moscow included in Trump’s peace deal.
Zelensky made clear that Ukrainian and US negotiators had not yet fully hammered out revisions to a proposed US peace plan, despite two rounds of talks to adjust terms that initially endorsed Russia’s main wartime demands.
There were “some tough issues that still have to be worked through” Zelensky posted following Sunday’s US-Ukrainian talks, held at a Florida luxury golf resort built by Trump’s envoy and fellow real estate magnate Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff left the talks to travel to Moscow where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
Interfax news agency reported on Monday the Russian Security Council secretary, Sergei Shoigu, will meet with China’s foreign minister Wang Yi in Moscow on Tuesday for Russian-Chinese consultations on strategic security.
The talks will also cover the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as military co-operation between Moscow and Beijing.
Reuters
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