Russia's Missile Launch May Make Notes to West 'More Convincing', Kremlin Spokesman Says

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY, Russia (Sputnik) - A recent launch of the Russian Zircon hypersonic missile may make Russia's diplomatic notes to the West "more convincing," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

"Well, let's hope that notes become more convincing this way," Peskov told Rossiya 1 when asked about the launch.

The Kremlin spokesman also said that it was President Putin who came up with the idea of security guarantees that were recently proposed to the West.

"This is...the initiative of a president, who is capable of a comprehensive analysis of the situation," Peskov said.

A negotiation on security guarantees that Russia offered to the United States will show whether the latter is interested in resolving mutual concerns effectively or protracting the process indefinitely, he added.

"These talks will immediately demonstrate if the Americans are ready to give a substantive answer or prefer to stall the process and try initiating years-long perennial negotiations," the spokesman said, adding "the Russian side absolutely will not put up" with the second option.

He said that Russia needs a "quick and specific" decision on security guarantees that would meet the country's interests.

"I would maintain cautious optimism right now and put hope on the consultations that we are waiting for," Peskov said.

Russia has raised security guarantees it had suggested for the United States and NATO with China, he went on to say.

"India and China are our partners and allies. We have been coordinating our actions with them in many aspects on the international arena, particularly with China," Peskov said.

He said China "highly praised" the Russian security proposals last week, adding that "we will continue our consultations."

Commenting on the possibility of NATO's expansion to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, he said Russia sees it "as a matter of life and death."

"Of course, for us, this is, well, essentially a matter of life and death already...The equipment is beginning to make its way into Ukraine, military instructors are coming there, there are several thousand of them already. NATO is gradually making its way into Ukraine and then, the only thing left will be to make it official," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Another escalation of the civil war in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbass would be unacceptable for Russia as it will be taking place near the Russian border, Peskov explained.

"We are told to take de-escalation measures, but no one tells the same to Ukraine. No one calls out to Ukraine to say that another escalation of the civil war would be unacceptable and that it would be absolutely unacceptable for us because it will be right next to our borders. And after all, Russian people live there whose fate our country cannot ignore," the Kremlin spokesman said.

He slammed the Western countries for being biased in their stances on the eastern Ukraine conflict.

When asked about the US sanctions against Russia, Peskov said that Moscow understands that US President Joe Biden cannot just cancel sanctions at once.

"Many procedures are codified, which means that a president can only act within the limits of laws and acts that were passed by the Congress. This [sanctions] is probably due to the political standoff between Republicans and Democrats, so the president cannot just up and cancel it all. And we understand it very well and are aware that we'll have to live a long while with these sanctions," the Kremlin spokesman said.