Ukraine talks: US reiterates warnings to Russia

Published on : 01/10/2022 – 7:14 PM

The points of view remain antagonistic between Washington and Moscow. Discussions resumed on Monday, January 10, after a first difficult interview Sunday evening in Geneva, in an attempt to defuse the explosive crisis that is playing out around Ukraine.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said she discussed with her Russian counterpart in Geneva on Monday (January 10) possible reciprocal limits on missiles and military maneuvers in Europe, but reiterated Western warnings in the event of invasion of Ukraine.

“We have presented a number of ideas from which our two countries could take reciprocal measures consistent with our security interests and which can improve strategic stability,” she said in a telephone exchange with the press at the end of the talks with Sergei Riabkov.

She added that she had offered to continue these talks soon to go into detail, in particular on the deployment of missiles.

Washington, however, warned Moscow that NATO’s “open-door policy” would continue despite Russian demands for a written commitment to avoid any future Ukraine membership, she also said.

“We are firm, however, in our opposition to security proposals which are simply inadmissible in the United States. We will not allow anyone to close NATO’s open door policy,” she insisted.

Wendy Sherman also explained to have repeated to her counterpart that any invasion of Ukraine would entail “significant costs”, “enormous”, which the West would inflict on Russia. She also assured that Washington had no intention of negotiating on the Ukrainian issue without involving Kiev, nor addressing in detail the architecture of security in Europe without the Europeans.

For the moment, Russia has not provided a “response” to the American request for “de-escalation” on the Ukrainian border, she lamented.

She explained that Moscow could initiate this “de-escalation” by “sending back to their barracks the soldiers” amassed at the border in recent weeks. Asked if Sergei Riabkov had given pledges in this regard, she replied: “I don’t think we know the answer to that”.

Russia has no intention of “attacking Ukraine”

Russia has “no intention” to attack Ukraine, assured for his part the Russian negotiator, who also noted the “seriousness” of the Americans with regard to Russian demands to guarantee its security in the face of NATO.

“We explained to colleagues that we have no plans, no intention to attack – in quotes – Ukraine,” said Sergei Riabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister, assuring that he did not there was no reason “to fear an escalation of the situation on this front”.

>> To read on France24.com: Why Russia considers itself threatened by NATO

On the basis of the negotiations, he praised the seriousness with which the American side had taken Russia’s demands for its security, first and foremost legal guarantees never to expand NATO again, above all to the former pro-Soviet countries. -Western, Ukraine and Georgia in the lead.

“We have the impression that the American side has taken the Russian proposals very seriously”, he declared, after “difficult, long, professional” talks.

According to him, “the situation is not hopeless” therefore, while for weeks Russian-Western tensions have continued to worsen, in particular due to the deployment of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers on the borders of the United States. ‘Ukraine.

But, he ruled, “we must not underestimate the risks linked to a worsening of the evolution of the confrontation”.

“We call on the United States to show maximum responsibility,” warned Sergei Riabkov.

“We need a breakthrough, a real gesture in the direction of Russia must be made and it must come from NATO”, he insisted, assuring that “never ever” Ukraine should join the Atlantic Alliance.

For him, the concessions to Russia must be made “quickly”, Sergei Riabkov insisting that the negotiation process should not take “months and years”.

With AFP