NATO is not planning any aggression against Russia. This statement was made by the United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Friday, December 3.
“This is not an alliance planning aggressive actions against Russia. The only aggression that we have seen in recent years, unfortunately, came from Russia, ”Blinken said, speaking at the Reuters NEXT conference, the recording is available on Youtube.
Blinken said that Russia will face “very serious consequences” from the United States and Europe if it “continues its confrontational course and renews its aggression against Ukraine.”
“I really hope that Russia takes this into account in its planning,” he added.
During the interview, the Secretary of State also said that in recent days the United States has not seen any steps from Iran that confirm the seriousness of its intentions to return to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program. In this regard, he said, the States intend to hold talks with their partners in order to discuss concerns around the Iranian nuclear program, including with the Russian Federation.
“We intend to conduct close consultations with our partners: with European countries, Russia, China, as well as other interested countries, including Israel and the Gulf States. We have to determine whether Iran has at least some desire to seriously participate in the dialogue, ”Blinken said.
The US State Department also announced that the United States and the European Union (EU) will hold the first meeting in the framework of the dialogue in the field of defense and security in early 2022.
“The first meeting within the framework of the dialogue, aimed at closer cooperation in the field of security and defense, will take place in early 2022 with the participation of the US Department of State and the US Department of Defense, the European Commission, the European Defense Agency and the European External Action Service,” the joint statement by Anthony Blinken and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, which was disseminated by the press service of the State Department.
On December 2, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Stockholm; it lasted about 40 minutes. According to experts, such a duration has shown that there is little chance of a breakthrough in the negotiations.
On November 21, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that the West is artificially stirring up hysteria with its statements about the alleged preparation of Russia for an attack on Ukraine. He added that provocations are not ruled out, and NATO countries should stop “pumping up Ukraine with modern weapons.”
In addition, Peskov stressed that NATO should stop provocative activities near the Russian borders to determine a way out of the current tense situation in relations between the Russian Federation and the West. He added that under the guise of the alliance’s exercises in the Black Sea, Ukraine is most likely seeking another attempt to start a military solution to its internal problem.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
