Amid the Ukraine crisis between the U.S.-led NATO alliance on one hand Russia on the other, the US and NATO have communicated separately with Russia on arriving at a solution to the military build-up on either side.
The United States’ ambassador to Russia, Jon Sullivan, communicated on behalf of the U.S. in response to Moscow’s demands for a security assurance that the US or NATO will not expand eastwards. In its letter, the US has offered a “serious diplomatic path” to end the impasse.
We have now conveyed our proposals to #Russia. #NATO firmly believes that tensions & disagreements must be resolved through dialogue & diplomacy, not through force or the threat of force. https://t.co/4dQcLYEsK6
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 26, 2022
Speaking to media, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken elaborated on the contents of the letter: “The document we’ve delivered includes concerns of the United States and our allies and partners about Russia’s actions that undermine security, a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that Russia has raised, and our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground”
Moscow had strongly opposed the bid for neighbouring Ukraine’s inclusion into NATO in 2014, following which there was major political turmoil in the country which ended up with the Crimean peninsula under direct Russian control and Ukraine’s eastern provinces under the control of Russia-backed separatists.
Yesterday, on Wednesday, Blinken stressed that NATO is open to new members, against Moscow’s demand that it stop its eastwards “expansion”.
In a similar vein, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that a “parallel” communication had been issued to the Russian side. Stoltenberg said that ties should be reestablished between Russia and NATO, while also warning that Eastern Europe continues to be on the edge due to Russian troop deployment not only on the Ukrnia border but also in Belarus.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Russia has received the letter and will “study” the proposals of the NATO. As US Secretary of State Blinken is clear that there have been no concessions to Russia, Moscow on its part has warned that it will retaliate if demands are not met. It has also warned against imposing sanctions on Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to Reuters.
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