“The United States is eager to engage in dialogue with Russia,” said the spokesperson for the National Security Council. A meeting between Russia and NATO could then take place on January 12, followed on January 13 by a meeting between Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), of which the United States are part. United, added the spokesperson.
“When we sit down to discuss, Russia can put its concerns on the table and we will put ours on the table, especially Russia’s activities,” he said. Bilateral talks on January 10 will be held as part of the strategic security dialogue launched by Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Poutin at their Geneva summit last June.
Russia accused of considering military intervention
Although this format is mainly devoted to the renegotiation of post-Cold War nuclear arms control treaties, the discussions will also concern the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border, where Moscow has deployed tens of thousands of troops, said. a senior official in the US executive also wishing to remain anonymous. Meetings with NATO and the OSCE should particularly concern Ukraine.
Russia has been accused for more than a month by the West of having massed large forces on the Ukrainian border, with a view to a possible military intervention against Kiev. Moscow denies any bellicose intention and claims to be threatened by “provocations” from Kiev and NATO, and demands that the Alliance undertake not to expand into the former USSR.
Russia presented two draft treaties
In a move that breaks with the generally confidential nature of diplomatic discussions, Russia recently presented two draft treaties to prevent any expansion of the Atlantic Alliance, notably to Ukraine, and to end Western military activities near Russian borders. . Washington had said it was “ready to discuss” these documents, while stressing that they understood “certain things which the Russians know unacceptable”.
Any agreement with Russia would take Ukrainian interests into account, the spokesperson for the National Security Council said on Monday. “Nothing that concerns our allies and partners” will be negotiated “without our allies and partners, including Ukraine”, he insisted. “President Biden’s approach to Ukraine has been clear and consistent: bringing the (Atlantic) Alliance together in two directions, deterrence and diplomacy,” he said. “We are united as an alliance when it comes to the consequences Russia would face if it made a move towards Ukraine.”
10,000 Russian soldiers returned to base
“But we are also united in our desire to engage in principled diplomacy with Russia,” he said. The identities of the people who will lead the January 10 negotiations on both sides have not been made public. Moscow said on Saturday that more than 10,000 Russian soldiers had returned to their bases after month-long exercises in southern Russia, especially near the Ukrainian border.