International relations U.S. envoy to Russia talks on Wednesday: “Demand for a flexible open door policy is a company doomed to failure”

Abroad|International relations

Russia has created tensions in the geopolitical situation in Europe, which are now being addressed through high – level negotiations.

Negotiations were concluded when Russia presented a detailed list of demands to the United States and NATO in December. Possibly in order to make its demands more effective, Russia has brought its armed forces close to Ukraine’s borders. Russia insists that NATO should not consider Ukraine’s membership, and that it should not expand geographically, at least geographically, to Russia.

Russia negotiated with the United States on Monday. Negotiations with NATO are scheduled for Wednesday and with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Alexander Gruško spoke at the “moment of truth” about the forthcoming NATO talks on Wednesday, according to AFP news agency.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov opened a negotiating pipeline this week in Geneva, Switzerland.

The most important step in the negotiations was the continuation of the negotiations.

Military alliance NATO rose to the center of talks as early as Monday. The U.S. Sherman stressed that he made it clear that no one has the right to “catch NATO’s open door policy”. At the same time, Russia’s Ryabkov demanded that the negotiations need a response – some kind of step – from NATO.

“The demand for flexibility in NATO’s open door policy is a company doomed to failure, nonstarter. All 30 NATO members have a common line on this, ”says the US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith.

“It is crystal clear that no member state is ready to negotiate a restriction on membership applications.”

Julianne Smith is the United States Permanent Representative to NATO. He took up the post in November. Prior to that, he served as U.S. Secretary of State from January 2021 Anthony Blinkenin as an advisor.

Smith spoke to journalists at a webinar in Brussels on Tuesday night Finnish time.

Russia has called on NATO to withdraw its promise in its 2008 Bucharest resolution that Ukraine and Georgia are welcome to join NATO.

According to Smith, it is clear that NATO countries will not agree to negotiate with Russia on Wednesday. That would be a restriction on open door policy.

“We are all committed to dialogue and to meeting this challenge together,” Smith referred to the United States’ NATO partners, stressing that no one would agree without consulting them – Ukraine, the EU or even smaller NATO members such as the Baltics.

Where from on Wednesday then negotiating? Russia has presented a multi-point list of its demands. Among them is the demand that NATO should not bring its armaments close enough to Russia’s borders and conduct exercises close to Russia’s borders.

According to Smith, NATO negotiators are in a wait-and-see attitude. Let’s see what the Russians say when they sit down at the negotiating table, Smith puts it.

“No one knows for sure. We don’t have a crystal ball. But we are prepared. ”

According to Smith, member states in different NATO positions do not have different lines for negotiations. There is therefore no real divide between, for example, NATO and EU members and, for example, NATO member Turkey.

“Of course, whenever there are 30 member countries, there are also slightly different perspectives. But they are not about disagreements. We have a broad consensus. ”

Smithin According to Russia, there are three overarching themes in the negotiations between Russia and NATO: risk reduction, arms control and transparency. Especially in reducing risks, it is possible to move forward with Russia, Smith estimates. However, it is not certain.

“We try to stay accurate. We are not very optimistic, but we are not really pessimistic either. ”