‘It is not us who threaten anyone,’ Putin says to the West.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the West to “quickly” satisfy Russia’s demand for security guarantees that would prevent NATO’s expansion into Ukraine, claiming the US is “on the verge of becoming our home.”

During a marathon annual press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised discussions with the United States, which he said will begin in Geneva next month, as a “good” step, but warned that Moscow expects the talks to yield speedy results.

“We’ve told them loud and clear that any further NATO expansion eastward is unacceptable,” Putin stated.

Last week, Moscow submitted draft security documents urging that Ukraine and other former Soviet republics be denied NATO membership and that the alliance’s military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe be reduced. Membership in the alliance is open to any country that meets certain criteria.

“Are we the ones deploying missiles near the US border?” Putin was enraged. “No, it’s the United States that came to our house with its missiles, and it’s already on our doorstep.” Is it some sort of unreasonable demand that no strike weapons systems be stationed near our home?”

Moscow made its demand as tensions over a Russian force buildup near Ukraine have risen, raising concerns of an invasion. In a video conference with Putin earlier this month, US President Joe Biden warned that if Russia attacked Ukraine, it will suffer “serious repercussions.”

Russia has denied any plans to attack, but has declared a “red line” in Ukraine for NATO expansion and missile deployment.

“It’s you who must offer us promises and give them immediately, now, and not have idle conversation about it for decades,” Putin said when asked if he could provide a guarantee that Russia would not attack Ukraine on Thursday.

He screamed, “How would the Americans react if we positioned our missiles on the US borders with Canada or Mexico?”

The US and its allies have stated that they will not provide Russia with the kind of guarantees that Putin seeks in Ukraine. In preparation of the Geneva talks, American officials are engaging with European allies.

During his news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of “swindling, blatantly cheating” Moscow by promising not to expand NATO’s presence east in the 1990s and then expanding to include former Soviet bloc countries in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as ex-Soviet republics in the Baltics.

“They stated they weren’t going to expand, and then they did,” he explained. “They stated there would be equal protection for everyone, but there is no such thing as equal security.” Sometimes it feels like we’re in different universes.”

Following Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined NATO in 2004. Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia joined NATO in succeeding years, increasing the total number of NATO members to 30.

“No one is threatened by us,” Putin stated. “Did we come from the United States, the United Kingdom, or somewhere else?” No, they’ve approached us and now claim that Ukraine will join NATO. Alternatively, they may simply establish bases and strike weapons on a bilateral basis.”

He accused the West of attempting to turn Ukraine “anti-Russian” by arming it with modern weapons and teaching its citizens.

Putin stated that Russia cannot continue to live in fear of looming security risks posed by the prospective deployment of Western weaponry in Ukraine.

He screamed, “Should Russia live always looking back at what’s happening on and what new armament systems are deployed there?” “We need to think about how we can protect ourselves.”

He claimed that Western armaments might incentivize hawkish groups in Ukraine to use force to recover control of Russia-backed rebel regions, including Crimea, which Russia took from Ukraine in 2014.

Following two failed attempts in the past, the Russian leader said that Western concerns over an alleged Russian invasion could be a prelude to a likely move by Ukraine to start an offensive against the rebels in the east.

“It appears they are planning a third military operation and are telling us not to interfere,” he said.

Officials in Ukraine have rejected plans to mount an attack against the separatists. Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday that Putin’s claim that Kyiv is planning a military action is false.

“The only aggression at the Russian-Ukraine border is the Russian military buildup and the bellicose language from the Russian commander,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated.

“NATO is a defensive alliance,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss added, “and Ukraine continues to demonstrate great restraint in the face of Russian provocation and aggression.”

“Any Russian incursion would be a tremendous strategic error,” Truss warned, “and would be addressed with force, including concerted sanctions with our allies to inflict a significant cost on Russia’s interests and economy.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Truss to discuss the situation in Ukraine, and the two “agreed on the importance of reinforcing coordinated support among allies and partners to impose consequences and costs for further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.

On condition of anonymity, a senior White House official said Thursday that the US was prepared to expand support to Ukraine to help it defend its territory, and that it would reassure NATO allies of any shift in posture, in addition to economic sanctions, if Russia invaded its neighbor.

Following the annexation of Crimea, Moscow backed a separatist rebellion in Ukraine’s east. Over 14,000 people have been murdered in the conflict, which has ravaged Ukraine’s industrial heartland, known as the Donbas.

Putin’s press conference lasted almost four hours and addressed a variety of domestic topics. He dismissed criticism of Russia’s designation of a number of critical journalists and activists as “foreign agents,” a derogatory title that implies increased official inspection and is designed to smear the designees’ credibility.

When asked about his biggest political rival, imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Putin again denied Russian government involvement in Navalny’s nerve agent poisoning last year.

The Russian president also refuted claims that Moscow was hoarding gas in response to the EU’s energy crisis in order to pressure the EU to approve the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, claiming that Russia’s Gazprom gas giant had even exceeded its long-term contract requirements.

Putin, who will attend the Winter Olympics in China early next year, also slammed the United States’ political boycott of the Beijing Games, calling it a blunder and part of Washington’s efforts to curb China’s increasing power.