Russian FM: Security talks with US, NATO to start next month

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian and U.S. negotiators volition beryllium down for talks aboriginal adjacent twelvemonth to sermon Moscow’s request for Western guarantees precluding NATO’s enlargement to Ukraine, Russia’s apical diplomat said Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia successful January volition besides commencement abstracted talks with NATO to sermon the issue, adding that abstracted negotiations nether the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation successful Europe volition besides beryllium held.

Last week, Moscow submitted draught information documents demanding that NATO contradict rank to Ukraine and different erstwhile Soviet countries and rotation backmost the alliance’s subject deployments successful Central and Eastern Europe. Washington and its allies person refused to supply specified pledges, but said they are acceptable for the talks.

Moscow presented the demands amid soaring tensions implicit a Russian unit buildup adjacent Ukraine that has stoked fears of a imaginable invasion. U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin successful a league telephone earlier this period that Russia volition look “severe consequences” if it attacks Ukraine.

Putin has denied having plans to motorboat an onslaught but has described NATO’s enlargement to Ukraine and weapons deployment of the confederation weapons determination arsenic a “red line.”

“We don’t privation a war,” Lavrov said Wednesday. “We don’t privation to instrumentality the way of confrontation. But we volition firmly guarantee our information utilizing the means we see necessary.”

Speaking successful a unrecorded interrogation with Russian RT television, Lavrov hailed Washington’s “business-like” attack that helped rapidly hold connected parameters of the aboriginal talks.

He added that Moscow would beryllium acceptable to see Washington’s demands, but warned that the talks mustn’t resistance retired indefinitely.

“I anticipation that they volition instrumentality america earnestly fixed the moves we instrumentality to guarantee our defence capability,” helium said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov besides hailed reaching a speedy statement connected the commencement of the talks, but noted that they should beryllium “aimed astatine reaching factual results and not go drawn out.” He added that Moscow expects Washington to contiguous a elaborate level for the talks and beryllium acceptable for a constructive discussion.

“We privation these talks,” helium said successful a league telephone with reporters. “And, certainly, the talks are held to sermon each other’s positions.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Washington is moving with its European allies to code what helium called “Russian aggression” with diplomacy but said Biden opposes the benignant of guarantees sought by Putin.

“The president has been highly wide for many, galore years astir immoderate basal principles that nary 1 is moving backmost on: the rule that 1 state does not person the close to alteration by unit the borders of another, that 1 state does not person the close to dictate the policies of different oregon to archer that that state with whom they whitethorn associate,” Blinken told reporters successful Washington. “One state does not person the close to exert a sphere of influence. That conception should beryllium relegated to the dustbin of history.”

Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula successful 2014 and soon aft formed its enactment down a separatist rebellion successful the country’s east. The fighting, which started much than 7 years ago, has killed implicit 14,000 radical and devastated Ukraine’s concern heartland, known arsenic the Donbas.

Moscow has rejected Western concerns astir its plans to invade Ukraine arsenic a smear run and, successful its turn, accused Ukraine of an volition to reclaim power of the rebel-held areas by force. Ukrainian officials person denied having immoderate specified plans.

On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that much than 120 U.S. backstage subject contractors are presently operating successful 2 villages adjacent the enactment of interaction successful eastbound Ukraine, grooming Ukrainian troops and mounting up firing positions successful residential buildings and antithetic facilities. He besides alleged that they stockpiled toxic chemicals successful mentation for a imaginable provocation.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry powerfully rejected Shoigu’s assertion arsenic portion of a Russian disinformation campaign.