Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet to discuss the security situation around Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine, Jan. 19, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Office/Handout via Xinhua)
According to Medvedev, the situation around Ukraine is used by the West in their "geopolitical game against Russia."
MOSCOW, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Deputy Chairman of Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States are using Ukraine to gain geopolitical leverage.
"Ukraine, unfortunately, has turned, to some extent, into a toy in the hands of NATO and the United States, as Ukraine is used as a geopolitical instrument to exert pressure on Russia," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Medvedev as saying during his interview with Russian media outlets.
According to Medvedev, neither the United States nor Europe "needs" Ukraine, and the situation around the country is used by the West in their "geopolitical game against Russia."
Noting that the possibility of a direct clash between Russia and NATO over Ukraine would end up being "catastrophic," the official hoped it would be possible to ease tensions in the foreseeable future.
Medvedev pointed out that Moscow was never opposed to the involvement of the United States in negotiations around Ukraine, but Washington was currently creating problems by trying to influence Kiev.
He expressed hope that Ukraine would sooner or later move towards normalizing ties with Russia. ■
