After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, there was “a triumphant mood in the West, especially in the USA,” said Gorbachev in an interview published on Friday with the Russian news agency Ria Novosti. Gorbachev’s resignation as President of the Soviet Union will be 30 years old on Saturday. With the move on December 25, 1991, the now 90-year-old sealed the end of the USSR.
“How can you rely on equal relations when the United States and the West are in such a position?” Criticized Gorbachev in the interview. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West appeared “arrogant and self-righteous”. “You have declared yourself a winner in the Cold War.” As the “winner”, the West decided to build a “new empire”. This has led to the expansion of NATO.
Gorbachev spoke against the background of massive tensions between Russia and the West. Given a massive Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine, there are fears that Moscow could attack the neighboring country.
The Kremlin rejects the fears of the West and, for its part, accuses Ukraine and NATO of provocative behavior. Most recently, President Vladimir Putin demanded written security guarantees from the USA and the Western Alliance, renouncing any further eastward expansion of NATO and the establishment of military bases in former Soviet republics.
At his traditional annual press conference on Thursday, Putin described the US’s initial reaction to the demands as “positive”. A White House representative said the US would be ready for a diplomatic exchange “from early January”.
Source: Nachrichten
