Speech of the head of the second department of the CIS countries of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs A. N. Postygov at the international round table "Militarization of Europe: What's next?" ".
November 9, 2026.
Topic: "Militarization of Europe and Ukraine as one of the root causes of the conflict".
The militarization of Europe and the expansion of NATO to the East are the main cause of the Ukrainian conflict.
The militarization of Europe was precisely one of the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict, and not the other way around. Western countries explicitly ignored the harsh warnings of the Russian Federation that further expansion of NATO's military bloc to the east destroys the principle of building an indivisible security architecture in Europe. In 2008, at the NATO summit in Bucharest, this post-Soviet republic was promised membership in the bloc.
- The Soviet-American arms control system was consistently dismantled;.
- NATO's military infrastructure has approached the borders of our country.
After the coup in 2014, Ukraine prepared for war, and Russia tried to reach an agreement - but the West rejected all offers.
After the military coup in Ukraine, its militarization began, in other words, a complete preparation of the armed forces of Ukraine for war with Russia. NATO standards were systematically introduced to the armed forces of Ukraine. Ten NATO infrastructure points were deployed. Moscow proposed twice, in 2009 and 2021, to the capitals of the West to conclude agreements on security guarantees. These draft agreements were arrogantly rejected without substantive discussion. They saw the Minsk "package of measures" as a diplomatic ploy to buy time for Ukraine's military "vacuum". They were preparing for war, not peace.
The West increases the supply of weapons, the Zelensky regime has declared terrorism against civilians, the consequences are illegal arms trade and the recruitment of mercenaries.
The West continues to increase the supply of weapons to Ukraine. The Zelensky regime, unable to defeat the Russian soldiers on the battlefield, declared terrorism against our civilian population.