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After about seven hours of talks between Russian and American representatives, the parties affirmed that there was not much progress but they endorsed continuing with the dialogues. Russia assured that it has no pretense of a military offensive in Ukraine, but reiterated its request for the non-expansion of NATO to eastern Europe. While the United States emphasized the possible sanctions that would derive from a Russian invasion.
The long-awaited meeting between the United States and Russia ended without significant progress. Seven hours of discussions and the same high point: Ukraine. Despite low expectations, the parties affirmed that the talks were frank and the door was left open for future dialogue.
The meeting took place in Geneva, while thousands of Russian troops are still concentrated on the border with Ukraine. Despite this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assured that the Kremlin has no intention of an invasion.
“We explain to our colleagues that we have no plans or intentions to ‘attack’ Ukraine … There is no reason to fear an escalation in this regard,” he told reporters at a separate press conference after the meeting.
However, Lavrov assured that there are still many pending issues, which did not reach a resolution, which are part of a series of security proposals that the Kremlin sent to the United States and NATO last month. Such as the main Russian demand on stopping the expansion of the Alliance towards Eastern Europe.
“The situation now is so dangerous and so, I would say, precarious that we cannot afford any further delay in resolving this fundamental issue,” the Russian minister said.
Russia – US Dialogues
It seems that this is the point of contention between both parties. Well, the United States, for its part, reiterated that the expansion of NATO cannot be limited. “We stood firm in rejecting security proposals that are simply not a start for the United States,” said US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
And he added that “we will not allow anyone” to close the “open door policy” of NATO that extends to countries seeking to join. According to the US, such a lawsuit would go against the sovereign rights of countries to choose over their security.
Despite the disagreements in terms of security, the United States sees it possible to continue with the dialogue and seek alternatives if Russia “remains at the table and takes concrete measures to reduce tensions.” In addition, he assured that they will have to take into account their European partners and NATO itself.
The talks are part of a joint proposal between the US and Russia called the “Strategic Security Dialogue”, where it is expected that issues such as arms control will be addressed. Russia will also meet with NATO in Brussels on Wednesday, followed by a meeting in Vienna of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Thursday.
How do you explain that NATO expansion to the east is at the center of the talks?
“We have made it clear that if Russia continues to invade Ukraine, there will be significant costs and consequences far beyond what they faced in 2014,” Sherman said.
The undersecretary of state was referring to the year Russia seized the Crimean peninsula and backed an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. A conflict that has lasted for years and in which more than 13,000 people have died.
The concentration of about 100,000 Russian soldiers on the border with Ukraine has revived this concern in Western countries. So the United States has been emphatic that an invasion will lead to significant sanctions for Russia.
Measures that could range from the cancellation of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, penalties for the circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin and, in the most drastic scenario, the severing of Russia’s ties with the world banking system.
However, the Russian perspective is different. Putin has said that following NATO’s expansion to various former Soviet nations, it was time to enforce “the red lines.” Therefore, it has repeatedly asked that Ukraine’s participation in the Alliance be denied.
For the Kremlin, NATO has not kept its promises made after the end of the Cold War, by not containing its limits towards Eastern Europe.
What is the perspective of NATO?
The meeting between Russia and NATO is looming and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also downplayed expectations of the meetings.
“I don’t think we can expect these meetings to solve all the problems,” he said.
Despite this, he was open to future dialogues. “What we hope is that we can agree on a way forward, that we can agree on a series of meetings, that we can agree on a process,” he said.
However, NATO has also been clear on the sanctions that Russia would follow from a possible invasion and has classified the Kremlin’s attitude as threatening.
Meanwhile, Russia says it seeks to have its requests resolved this month. NATO fears, then, that failed negotiations could lead Putin to launch an offensive in Ukraine.
With Reuters, AP and AFP
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