MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. The independent policies of Russia’s neighboring countries will keep them from turning into a battle for the geopolitical games of others, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said, speaking at the presentation of the Valdai International Discussion Club’s report entitled Space Without Borders: Russia and Its Neighbors.

"Our interests would be fully protected if all of our neighboring countries pursued a truly independent and sovereign policy and avoided turning into some kind of a battleground for the political games that other players play," he noted.

According to Rudenko, as for the former Soviet countries, they have matured in the 30 years that have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union and realized what they want. "Their interests don’t always coincide with ours but these nations can already be viewed as independent players so they need to be treated patiently, based on our practical interests," he added.

The Russian deputy foreign minister pointed out that the processes that were underway across the former Soviet Union needed to be considered through the lens of Moscow’s relations with the West because Russia’s neighbors also had to take them into account. "We can see it every day, particularly with regard to sanctions and our desire that all countries share our view on the illegitimacy of these restrictions," he said, adding: "Issues sometimes emerge here as not all countries always agree to that."

All of Russia’s neighboring states are now members of various integration organizations, Rudenko stressed. "Thirty years after the civilized divorce, which is what the Soviet Union’s collapse was called, our neighbors have come to understand that a divorce is possible but there should be certain limits, particularly related to their practical needs," he said.