Putin Says NATO Expansion Into Ukraine Is "Unacceptable"

During his annual year-end news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is opposed to NATO's eastern expansion into Ukraine, calling it "unacceptable," and says it would be akin to Russia stationing its missiles in Mexico or Canada. "We are not the ones that deploy missiles next to the U.S. borders. That's the other way around...What would Americans do if we went to the border between Canada and the U.S. or to the border with Mexico and deploy our missiles there?" Putin says. And he argues that even if Ukraine is not part of NATO, the West will have an agreement to establish military bases and place weapons there. He says the West "should come with guarantees, right now, immediately, and not to keep talking about that for decades on and on." close