The US did not respond positively to Moscow’s main request: The Kremlin sees no reason for optimism, Putin is on the move – Topky.sk

The American reaction gives room for a serious dialogue, but only on secondary issues, not on fundamental issues, the head of Russian diplomacy added. US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan forwarded to Russia diplomacy Washington’s written response to Moscow’s request for security guarantees Wednesday night.

“There is no positive response to the main question in this document. The main point is our clear position on the inadmissibility of further NATO enlargement to the east and the deployment of offensive weapons that could threaten the territory of the Russian Federation.” said Lavrov. However, according to him, the American answer gives room for a discussion on side issues.

Putin will decide on the next steps

President Vladimir Putin will decide on the next steps for Moscow. According to a spokesman for the Russian head of state, it looks like Washington has not taken into account Russia’s main security requirements. So the Kremlin sees no reason for optimism. However, Moscow does not want to draw premature conclusions, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said both sides were interested in continuing the dialogue.

According to him, Russia needs time to analyze the US and NATO response, the TASS agency wrote. “No one will be particularly tempted by the reaction, but it would be naive to expect it the next day,” Peskov said, adding that it took the West about a month to respond to Russia’s proposals. Putin has already read the answers, he told reporters Peskov, who likened the current tensions in many respects to the Cold War.

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Source: TASR / Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

In a proposal submitted by the United States in mid-December, Russia called on the Americans to ensure that they did not allow NATO to expand further east, end military cooperation with the former Soviet republics, withdraw nuclear weapons from Europe and deploy no offensive weapons that could endanger Russia. Russian officials have repeatedly said they expect a written and detailed response from the United States.

Washington has made it clear that it did not intend to negotiate a call for NATO troops and weapons to withdraw from Eastern Europe and for the West to guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO, according to Wednesday’s announcement by US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken. However, he expressed his willingness to debate other points, such as arms control or confidence-building measures.

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Source: SITA / Martial Trezzini / Keystone via AP

Today’s Kremlin response has shown that Russia does not reject US and NATO responses recklessly and does not close the door on diplomacy, Reuters reported. The AP agency called the comments of Russian officials evasive, which according to it reflects the fact that it will be Putin who will personally determine Russia’s future actions. He had previously warned that he would order unspecified “military-technical measures” if the West refused to take into account Russian requirements, the AP wrote.

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Source: SITA / Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

According to Medvedev, Ukraine has become an instrument of NATO and the USA in their pressure on Russia

Press agencies today also cite former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently vice chairman of Russia’s Security Council. Prior to Lavrov and Peskov’s remarks, he told reporters, among other things, that Ukraine had become an “instrument” of NATO and the United States in their “geopolitical pressure on Russia.” He described the possible conflict between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance as “the most dramatic and catastrophic scenario”.

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Source: SITA / Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Russian diplomat Alexei Zaitsev reiterated today that Russia, which annexed Ukrainian Crimea in 2014 and supported the separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine, has no intention of attacking anyone and that even the thought of a war between Russia and Ukraine is “unacceptable.” “Apparent military tensions would be reduced if NATO withdrew its forces from Eastern European countries. That is what we are calling for.” said according to Reuters.

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Source: SITA / AP

At the same time, Foreign Minister Vladimir Yermakov, director of the arms control department, warned that the nuclear crisis between Washington and Moscow was necessary unless agreements were reached that would ensure limitation and predictability in this regard. According to him, NATO is able to rapidly develop nuclear forces in Europe, which can also hit strategic goals in Russia. “The priority is to reach a fundamental understanding that the problems in this area need to be addressed urgently. Otherwise, new ‘missile crises’ are necessary.” he said. “We insist that ‘NATO’s joint nuclear missions’ must be stopped immediately, all US nuclear weapons returned to US territory and the infrastructure to ensure their rapid deployment must be destroyed.” Stressed.