Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to confirm that it has no intention of attacking Europe. He spoke about this at a press conference in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Putin said: "One thing is to say that Russia has no intention of attacking Europe. We have never had such an intention. But if they want to hear it from us, we will do so. We can put it in writing – no problem."
In Europe, especially in Eastern countries close to Russia, people have feared that after the war in Ukraine, Russia might attack other countries. They now have a large and experienced military.
Putin said: "I think there are people there who are a bit crazy. They tell their people that Russia is preparing to attack Europe. They say we need to strengthen our defense forces."
He suggested that these people either want to support the defense industry or gain more political support. "It's hard to say what motivates them. From our perspective, this is wrong," Putin said.
Putin said that if people want to hear that Russia does not plan to attack Europe, then Russia is ready to put it in writing. He added that it might be reasonable if all countries discuss security issues together.
"We once made this proposal. If Western countries want it now, we are ready. But we need to discuss it seriously. Every word matters," Putin said.