Russia Worried NATO Expansion Represents Threat, Says It Is Developing Weapons Accordingly

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concerns over the emergence of NATO officers conducting bomber drills in Ukraine during a video conference on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

Putin said that their presence could threaten Russia's security and that NATO could eventually use Ukrainian territory to deploy missiles that could reach Russian command centers in just five minutes.

"The emergence of such threats represents a 'red line' for us," Putin said during the call. "I hope that common sense and responsibility for their own countries and the global community will eventually prevail."

The threats include bomber drills that have been increasingly closer to the Russian border. Similarly, U.S. bombers have been organizing nearby drills, prompting Russia and China to strengthen military ties. Putin called such drills, regardless of affiliation, a "threat."

As a result, he added that Moscow is developing hypersonic missiles that could reach nearby targets in five minutes. The missiles will be added to the Russian navy early next year. Putin implied that he had little choice but to develop the missiles due to surrounding threats.

"What should we do? We would need to develop something similar to target those who threaten us," he said, "and we can do that even now."

Russia has been accused of planning to invade Ukraine, prompting the arrival of NATO. According to AP, NATO representatives have reached out to Putin saying that "any attempt to further destabilize Ukraine would be a costly mistake."

Russia has denied all allegations of a planned Ukrainian invasion.

For more reporting from The Associated Press, see below.

The Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound to a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), has undergone a series of tests, most recently Monday.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 after the country's Kremlin-friendly president was driven from power by mass protests and also threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency that broke out in Ukraine's east.

Earlier this year, a spike in cease-fire violations in the east and a Russian troop concentration near Ukraine fueled war fears, but tensions abated when Moscow pulled back the bulk of its forces after maneuvers in April.

Putin argued that to avoid tensions, Russia and the West should negotiate agreements that would take the parties' security interests into account.

The previous buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine early this year was followed by Putin's summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in June in Geneva, where they agreed to launch a dialogue on strategic stability and cyber security. Putin hailed the discussions on cyber security between Russian and U.S. experts, saying "just as with the pandemic, it's necessary to pool efforts to work efficiently."

Asked about Biden's bid to seek a second term, Putin hailed it, saying it would help the U.S. political stability.

The Russian leader also drew a parallel with his own reelection plans, saying that even though he hasn't decided yet whether to seek reelection when his current six-year term ends in 2024, the possibility of him staying on has helped stability.

The 69-year-old Russian president has been in power for more than two decades—longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. Constitutional amendments approved in 2020 reset Putin's previous term limits, allowing him to run for president two more times and hold onto power until 2036.

"In line with the constitution, I have the right to get elected to seek a new term, but I haven't yet made up my mind whether to do it or not," Putin said. "But the very existence of that right already stabilizes the domestic political situation."