US President Joe Biden on Friday, December 31, following a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, said that he expects progress from the upcoming rounds of talks, the White House press pool reports.
“I always look forward to negotiations and progress,” the American leader of TASS was quoted as saying.
The head of the White House told Putin that if the situation in Ukraine aggravates, serious sanctions will be imposed and the United States and its NATO allies will increase their presence in Europe.
Biden stressed that during the upcoming talks with Russia, the parties will discuss mutual concerns. In response to a question about whether sanctions against Moscow could follow if Russian troops remain at the border, the president said that he did not intend to discuss the details of the negotiations publicly.
Earlier that day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Russian authorities would take measures to prevent threats to their security if the US and NATO did not heed Moscow’s proposals. He stressed that the Foreign Ministry will not allow “to roll up initiatives in endless discussions.”
According to the minister, Russia’s proposals on security guarantees are aimed at creating and legalizing a new system of agreements based on the principle of abandoning attempts to achieve military superiority.
On December 28, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that during negotiations with the Russian Federation on January 10, the United States intends to act from a position of containment on the situation in Ukraine. According to him, the Russian side knows that among the proposals put forward there are those that are unacceptable for the United States and European allies.
Against the background of tensions around Ukraine, Russia and the United States are planning to hold a meeting in the format of a strategic dialogue at the level of representatives of the Foreign Ministries on January 10. A meeting of the Russia-NATO Council is scheduled for January 12, and a multilateral meeting at the OSCE site is to take place a day later.
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.
