By demanding security guarantees, Russia trying to pose as “victim” – expert

By demanding security guarantees for itself, Russia is merely seeking to entrench its propaganda narratives and maximalist demands.

This was stated in a comment to Ukrinform by Mario Baumann, project manager and research fellow in the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). 

“By demanding its own security guarantees, the Kremlin reinforces the regime’s false propaganda narrative that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a defensive reaction to a non-existent threat from Ukraine or from the West/NATO,” Baumann said.

According to him, this demand also serves to obscure the fact that Ukraine is the only victim in this war and therefore requires security guarantees to protect itself from renewed Russian aggression. In this way, Russia fuels blame-shifting, which U.S. President Donald Trump, among others, repeatedly echoes in the form of accusations against Ukraine, Baumann added.

The negative reaction of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko and his opposition to providing reliable security guarantees to Ukraine by Kyiv’s Western allies – guarantees that would be a prerequisite for a possible ceasefire – demonstrate that Russia has no genuine interest in ending the violence, the expert stressed.

At the same time, he noted, Moscow is attempting to use this self-portrayal as a victim to advance its maximalist demands, including a revision of the European security order in line with Russia’s own vision. This approach is particularly oriented toward the United States, which has recently increased pressure on Ukraine and, to a large extent, excluded Europeans from its talks with Moscow.

As reported, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko had stated earlier that any peace agreement on Ukraine must take into account “security guarantees for Russia,” rather than being limited solely to the interests of the Ukrainian side. According to him, without this condition, a peaceful settlement would be impossible.

Photo: Dr. Mario Baumann, LinkedIn