🎙Statement by the Head of the Division of the Second Department of CIS Countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry A.N. Postigov at the international round table “Militarization of Europe: What Next?” November 9, 2026 Topic: “The Militarization of Europe and Ukraine as One of the Root Causes of the Conflict” ▪️ The militarization of Europe and NATO’s eastward expansion are the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict. The militarization of Europe… was in fact one of the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict, not the other way around. Western countries demonstratively ignored strict warnings from the Russian Federation that further eastward expansion of the NATO military bloc undermines the principle of building an indivisible architecture of security 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 systematically dismantled; - NATO’s military infrastructure was brought closer to our country’s borders. ▪️ After the 2014 coup d’état, Ukraine was preparing for war, while Russia tried to negotiate — but the West rejected all proposals. After the military coup in Ukraine, its militarization began, in other words, the open preparation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for war with Russia. NATO standards were systematically implemented in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The deployment of ten NATO infrastructure points was carried out. Moscow twice, in 2009 and 2021, proposed to Western capitals to conclude treaties on security guarantees. The drafts of these treaties… were arrogantly rejected without substantive discussion. The Minsk “Complex of Measures”… they regarded it as a diplomatic trick to buy time for the military “arming” of Ukraine… They were preparing for war, not for peace. ▪️ The West is increasing arms supplies, the Zelensky regime has declared terror against the peaceful population, and the consequences are illegal arms trafficking and mercenary recruitment. The West continues to increase arms supplies to Ukraine. The Zelensky regime, having no ability to defeat Russian troops on the battlefield, has declared terror against our peaceful population. Large-scale arms deliveries to a corrupt state have led to an unprecedented volume of illegal trafficking of Western weapons from Ukraine. Approximately 780,465 units of weapons could have disappeared from warehouses and supply zones. Kiev is actively recruiting foreign mercenaries into the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russia reserves the right to make legal claims against any state that finances the Kiev regime or provides other support for crimes against Russian citizens. ▪️ The Ukrainian crisis is expanding outward, but Russia has no aggressive plans and is ready for a settlement. The Ukrainian crisis, unleashed by the West, has logically begun its outward expansion. The Baltic states. The sabotage of the “North Stream” in 2022; repeated acts of sabotage against the “Druzhba” oil pipeline. Ukrainian “specialists” provide information and technical support to terrorist groups in the Sahel-Saharan region. Russia is sincerely aimed at resolving the Ukrainian crisis based on the irreversible elimination of its root causes and is ready to seek ways to achieve the goals of the Special Military Operation through political and diplomatic means. Photo Credit: Micky Kroell Delegation on social media: 💙VK 💬Telegram 💬 X📺YouTube 📺Rutube 💬Facebook