MOSCOW: Washington is not seeking a war between NATO and Russia, Sputnik quoted US President Joe Biden as saying in an article for the New York Times.
“We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia. As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the United States will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow. So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces. We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia,“ Biden said.
He said the United States will keep reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank.
“We will also continue reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank with forces and capabilities from the United States and other allies. And just recently, I welcomed Finland’s and Sweden’s applications to join NATO, a move that will strengthen overall US and trans-Atlantic security by adding two democratic and highly capable military partners,“ Biden said.
He also added that the United States wants to see a democratic, independent and prosperous Ukraine.
“As the war goes on, I want to be clear about the aims of the United States in these efforts,“ Biden said.
“America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression,“ he said.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on Feb 24 in response to calls by the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics for protection from Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defence Ministry said the goal of the operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, was to “demilitarise and denasify” Ukraine, and to completely liberate Donbas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to “protect people subjected to genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years”. As of March 25, the Russian Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage, significantly reducing the combat potential of Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. - Bernama