Russian Envoy to US Says Situation With NATO Crawling Into Ukraine 'Extremely Dangerous'

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The situation with NATO attempting to move closer to the Russian border is extremely dangerous, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said in an article published by the US media outlet Foreign Policy.

Moscow may be forced to create vulnerabilities against the alliance if it continues to boost its military presence in the region, he added.

"The situation is extremely dangerous," Antonov writes in the article. "No one should doubt our determination to defend our security. Everything has its limits. If our partners keep constructing military-strategic realities imperiling the existence of our country, we will be forced to create similar vulnerabilities for them."

Antonov added that Russia has come to a point where it has no room to retreat and military exploration of Ukraine by NATO countries is an existential threat to Russia.

“Urgent action is needed. The principle of equal and indivisible security must be restored. This means that no single state has the right to strengthen its security at the expense of others. With political will, this can be achieved through the development of serious long-term and legally binding security guarantees,” Antonov said on Thursday.

“European security is now at a crossroads. The way in which events will develop further depends on the readiness of our Western colleagues for substantive dialogue, not delaying tactics and obfuscation,” the article said on Thursday. “The Russian initiative to conclude legally binding agreements on security guarantees is aimed at ensuring equal and reliable security for all.”