Moscow will continue to ignore American demands that it stops military exercises near the country’s border with Ukraine because nobody has the right to dictate what Russia can do inside its own territory, the Kremlin has said.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov commented on the current talks between the US and NATO, in which the American side seeks to restrict troop movement near the Russian-Ukrainian frontier.
“We are still talking about our units and our military districts on the territory of our country. Military construction and military training have continued, are continuing and will continue – this is the normal practice of any armed forces,” he said, repeating a line he has used many times regarding Russia’s right to move its own troops wherever it sees fit.
On January 10, Russia and the US held talks in Geneva, with Russia represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. The two parties met to discuss Russian proposals for security guarantees in Europe, originally put forward by Moscow last year.