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West’s promises not to expand NATO eastward turned out to be a ‘dirty lie,’ — Putin

According to the Russian president, the West hoped for impunity believing "that it would get away with it as it did before"

MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/. Promises by Western countries against NATO’s further eastward expansion turned out to be a ‘dirty lie,’ said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

"Previously stated promises not to expand NATO forces in an eastward direction, which our previous authorities decided to accept, turned out to be a dirty lie," Putin said, speaking during the ceremony of signing of treaties on the accession of four new territories.

According to him, the West hoped for impunity believing "that it would get away with it as it did before."

"Strategic security deals are being thrown into the trash, all previously reached agreements inked at the highest political level are being ditched," Putin continued. "All agreements regarding the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty have been unilaterally severed under far-fetched pre-texts."

From September 23 to September 27, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the DPR and the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia. In his speech at the signing ceremony, Putin called on Kiev to immediately cease hostilities and return to the negotiating table.