Russia provides NATO written response to Ukraine’s request on Thursday, US provides “diplomatic forward” response

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will hold a press conference at 7 pm on Thursday to discuss the response agreed by the 30 member states. According to diplomats, the answer has no significant concessions to Moscow. It argues that Russian demands are unacceptable. However, NATO will offer plans such as arms control to continue negotiations with Moscow.

Washington’s response offers a “serious diplomatic approach.”

US Secretary of State Anthony Blingen has said that the United States’ written response to Russia “offers a serious diplomatic approach if Russia so wishes.” He said he was ready to talk to Russian Prime Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days. Russian diplomat John Sullivan has handed over a letter to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Khrushchev, according to Russian diplomatic sources.

No information was provided on the content of the letter. Blinken says the answer will not be made public, but in a way it is already known. “Without going into the details of the document, I can tell you that Washington has been reiterating for weeks and in one sense that we are defending NATO’s open door policy.” The US Secretary of State stressed that Ukraine has the right to choose its allies. He said he was ready to talk to Moscow.

The US Secretary of State said the US administration’s written response to Moscow’s concerns was fully coordinated with Ukraine and its European allies. “We asked for their input and included it in the final version to be handed over to Moscow,” the minister said. The U.S. response must meet the response of the military treaty body.

Russian iron

Russia last month signed a draft agreement with NATO and the United States, in which the Kremlin seeks security guarantees from Europe. Moscow is demanding a written pledge that Ukraine and Georgia will not join NATO. Moscow is also demanding the withdrawal of NATO troops and weapons from Eastern European countries that have joined NATO since 1997.

But diplomats say Washington and the Western military alliance have told Russia they do not think so. NATO and US fear Russian invasion of Ukraine. The concentration of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border is seen as a means of increasing pressure.