“This is nonsense, this is rubbish” – Putin denies imperial ambitions and rejects accusations of a NATO attack

In a speech to foreign media on Wednesday, June 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had no “imperial ambitions” and dismissed as “nonsense” the idea that Russia could attack NATO.

Asked by AFP about the Soviet and Russian imperial flags at Gazprom headquarters where the meeting took place, Putin said: “There is no need to look for imperial ambitions from us. There are none. There is no need to look for something that does not exist.”

He advised against portraying Russia as an enemy and warned: “Don’t invent an image of Russia as an enemy. That will only harm you.”

Putin mocked the idea of ​​a Russian attack on NATO, saying: “You came up with the idea that Russia wants to attack NATO. Have you lost your mind? Are you stupid as a post? Who thought of that? This is nonsense, this is rubbish.”

Although Russia denies any military or imperial intentions, it has announced the annexation of five Ukrainian regions. Several politicians, including Putin, stressed that these territories were once part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.

At one of his rare press conferences, Putin also criticized the supply of Western long-range weapons to Ukraine, suggesting that Moscow could retaliate by supplying other countries with similar weapons to attack Western interests.