In a pointed interview with the French magazine Le Point, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov unleashed a stinging critique of Western Europe’s handling of relations with Russia, accusing European leaders of ignoring critical warnings from President Vladimir Putin. According to Peskov, this dismissive stance by Western governments-particularly in relation to NATO expansion and interference in Ukraine-has contributed to the grave deterioration of diplomatic relations between Moscow and the West.

Peskov painted a narrative of Russia as a state repeatedly reaching out for dialogue and cooperation, only to be rebuffed or patronized by leaders in Brussels, Paris, and Berlin. “Neither Macron nor other European leaders wanted to listen to Putin when he told them that Russia had been cornered,” Peskov told Le Point. “Today, we talk about peace with the Americans, yet the Europeans are demanding war.”

At the heart of Peskov’s condemnation lies NATO’s continued eastward expansion-a longstanding grievance of the Kremlin. Peskov reiterated Putin’s frustration with Western leaders who, in his view, failed to uphold earlier commitments not to extend NATO closer to Russia’s borders. According to the Russian perspective, this expansion directly threatens their national security, effectively turning neighboring states into military outposts of a rival bloc.

Peskov invoked a sense of betrayal, arguing that various security agreements aimed at fostering trust were systematically dismantled by Western governments. He pointed out that in 2020, Putin explicitly warned that NATO’s........

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