On Oct. 1 Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a regular press briefing that Ukraine has not moved closer to the negotiating table over the past year and that many European countries are continuing to block a return to talks. He said most European states are not seeking to ease tensions but are constructing a NATO-style security identity and accelerating defense spending toward roughly 5% of GDP, a model he described as confrontational rather than designed to guarantee security.