NATO and US finalize response to Russian demands

Diplomatic sources in the transatlantic military alliance indicated, on Wednesday, that the written response of NATO and the United States to the security demands submitted by Russia will be sent by the end of this week.

The sources consulted indicated that this answer is being “finished”.

“Many of the Russian demands are unacceptable or unrealistic, but the response identifies a number of areas in which their concerns can be acted upon,” a European official said of the prepared response.

“The question now is: Is this what the Russians are waiting for?”

Already in mid-December, Russia submitted two treaty proposals to radically reduce the influence of the United States and NATO on the periphery of its borders.

The United States responded that it was ready to discuss in consultation with the Europeans.

Russia demands a written commitment not to expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia, and demands the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the transatlantic military alliance of Eastern European countries that joined NATO after 1997.

Meanwhile, Western countries consider this set of demands unacceptable, but in fact they have frozen the accession process of Ukraine and Georgia, which requires the unanimity of the thirty members of the military alliance.

Presenting the two texts to the press, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed that “it is necessary to write security guarantees for Russia and have the force of law.”

The treaty proposals would prevent the United States from establishing military bases in any country in the former Soviet Union that is not a member of NATO.

It cannot use the infrastructure of those countries “for any military activity” or even “the development of bilateral military cooperation.”

Similarly, NATO members are obligated not to expand the Alliance or conduct any military activity on the territory of Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe, the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia.

Western countries demand Russia to withdraw Russian units deployed in its territory along the border with Ukraine, and to “reduce” tensions with the Ukrainian government.

csg / ahg / zm