The United States expects Russia to de-escalate in the situation around Ukraine, Washington is open for consultations in the Russia-NATO format, as well as in the format of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This was announced on Friday, December 17, by the US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland. The transcript of the speech is published on the State Department website.
“We are talking about the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state – Ukraine. It is about NATO’s right to make its own decisions, the broader architecture of European security. In a broader sense, we are talking about the basic rules of conduct in the international system, which make it clear that one country cannot change borders by another force, one country cannot dictate its choice and decisions regarding foreign policy to another, ”she said.
Nuland also pointed out that the United States, together with the countries of Europe, must determine if there are any Russian security concerns that they can allay.
“Russia seeks to revise the rules of conduct within the framework of European security. We must together, as allies and partners, in the European space determine whether Russia has concerns about which we can make them (Russia – Ed.) Calmer, as well as issues that are not subject to discussion, including the right to veto sovereign choice of any other country, ”the Deputy Secretary of State emphasized.
Earlier that day, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft agreements between Russia and the United States and NATO on security guarantees. The documents say, in particular, that Russia and NATO undertake not to create conditions that can be regarded as a threat by the other side.
On December 17, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the involvement of Ukraine in NATO and the prospect of deploying NATO strike missile systems near the borders of the Russian Federation are an unacceptable threat to security.
Moscow demands the withdrawal of the decision of the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of the alliance. However, the West is not ready for this, Ryabkov added.
Also on Friday, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia had expressed its readiness to begin negotiations with the United States on security guarantees on December 18.
On December 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that after admission to the alliance, weapons threatening Russia could be deployed in Ukraine.
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.
