Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated on June 4 that NATO's Baltops 2025 naval exercises in the Baltic Sea are "part of preparations for a military clash with Russia" This declaration from Moscow comes amidst growing concerns over the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and the US Golden Dome missile defense system.
On June 6, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov affirmed that there is "no basis for a full-scale return to the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (START) now," describing such a scenario as "increasingly unrealistic" Ryabkov also warned on June 6 that the US Golden Dome missile defense shield and similar programs pose "additional serious obstacles to any constructive consideration of potential initiatives in the sphere of nuclear and missile control" He criticized steps taken towards the Golden Dome system, stating this path leads to space becoming "an arena of armed confrontation"
Concurrently, European leaders are reportedly seeking to block a thaw in US-Russia relations Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on June 6, stated that EU leaders are engaged in a "proxy war" against Russia in Ukraine, and see their task as "countering Russians in the next decade"
Regarding Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on June 6 that Russia will continue to defend the "full restoration of the rights of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine as a factor for a long-term peaceful resolution of the crisis" He emphasized the importance of "respect for the Russian language" and criticized "discrimination...against everything Russian" by the Kiev regime Separately, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on June 6 of turning "terrorism into the pinnacle of Kiev regime’s ideology" and holding "personal responsibility for all perpetrated terrorist attacks"
Domestically, Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains strong public support. Polls from late May to early June showed trust levels of 80% and 81% for Putin, with job approval at 82% in one survey President Putin is scheduled to chair a video-conference meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects on June 6, focusing on launching new initiatives to achieve national development goals
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