Peskov linked Stoltenberg's harsh statements to his imminent resignation
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg makes harsh and irresponsible statements about the Ukrainian Armed Forces' (UAF) strikes on Russian territory because he will soon leave his post. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin on September 22.
"He is an outgoing person, he will soon stop working where he works, so, in fact, he allows himself such irresponsible statements. But, unfortunately, I think his attitude is shared by many in Europe. We have heard a lot of barefaced such words from Europe," Peskov said in an excerpt of the interview published in the journalist's Telegram channel.
The Russian presidential spokesman pointed out that the West is obsessed with the idea of continuing the conflict to the last Ukrainian and this obsession shows itself in different ways. In the case of the NATO Secretary General, it manifests itself in the form of harsh statements.
The Kremlin official expressed the opinion that there are still "sober heads" among Western politicians who listen to the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin and look into their meaning. At the same time, the position of those who favor escalation of the conflict must be listened to: it poses a danger to Russia, which has to act with this threat in mind.
Earlier, on September 16, Stoltenberg said that NATO would not become part of the Ukrainian conflict and would not cross red lines if the alliance countries gave Kiev permission to strike Russian territory with their weapons.
A member of the State Duma's defense committee, Andriy Kolesnik, commenting on the statement by the bloc's secretary-general, called the head of the alliance an outgoing political figure. The deputy pointed out that the Norwegian Stoltenberg's words could harm his country, but he apparently does not think about it.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that the NATO secretary-general's statements about strikes on Russian territory could be called "dementia and bravery." Zakharova emphasized that the issue here is not about red lines, but about the lack of common sense.
Putin commented back in May on the West's remarks about strikes on Russia, calling on NATO countries to think "what they are playing with" in the conflict with Russia. He noted that the alliance countries should keep in mind their small territory with dense populations.
Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to defend Donbass, which was announced by Putin on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military. However, the West has recently been increasingly vocal about the need to reduce support for Kiev.
