PESKOV WARNS NATO! Baltic Tensions Reach Dangerous New Level | ET Now | Latest News | Breaking News

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:23]The Kremlin has accused NATO of escalating tensions in the Baltic region after reports of Russian naval activity near Germany with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claiming it is the alliance, not Moscow, driving military pressure across Europe.

[00:00:44]Our navy performs its functions in the world ocean in strict compliance with international law and international maritime law including the task of ensuring the security from the manifestation of international [music] piracy sometimes even at the state level which already took place in the world ocean.

[00:01:02]As for the security in the Baltic states, it is probably the pressure of tension that has contributed to the activities of the NATO military fleet in recent months and not the Russian Federation.

[00:01:16]At the same time, Peskov signaled that Russia believes the Ukraine war is approaching a decisive political phase saying developments surrounding the peace process suggest the conflict is now close to completion.

[00:01:34]The president said that Russia remains open to contacts. He said that a certain work has been done in a three-way format and he said that we will welcome the continuation of the mediation efforts by the United States.

[00:01:47]And of course that baggage of developments in terms of the peace process allows us to say that it is really close to completion but I do not have to talk about any specifics in this context at the moment.

[00:01:58]You know that the humanitarian truce has ended.

[00:02:05]In a striking statement, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at any time [music] for negotiations, but only if Kyiv first agrees to what Moscow describes as the necessary conditions for ending the war.

[00:02:31]Russia also confirmed that the temporary Victory Day humanitarian truce has officially ended, with Peskov declaring that the special military operation continues and can stop only when Ukraine makes decisions demanded by the Kremlin.

[00:02:54]Meanwhile, Moscow acknowledged economic strain after reports suggested [music] Russia sharply reduced its growth forecasts, while also confirming that preparations for Putin's upcoming [music] China visit are in final stages, highlighting increasingly close Russia-China coordination [music] amid growing confrontation with the West.

[00:04:26]>> Mhm.