Friday, March 29

The US and NATO respond to Russia that they will not stop the expansion of the Alliance and call for de-escalation

The United States has already provided Russia with its own document on security in Europe in response to those submitted by Russia. The Kremlin called for an end to NATO expansion, while building up forces on the border with Ukraine. And the United States, “in a coordinated response with allies,” Blinken explained on Wednesday, “expresses concerns about Russia’s actions, while proposing measures to increase transparency and disarmament.” That yes, he has recognized that it brings very little novelty: “It reiterates what we have said publicly for many weeks and for many years.” For example, the Russian demand to rule out NATO’s expansion to the East, even to return to the status of 1997, before NATO grew towards the former Warsaw Pact countries, is rejected.

The US ambassador in Moscow, John Sullivan, has been in charge of delivering the written response to Russia’s demands regarding new security “agreements” in Europe. NATO, for its part, has delivered its own response in Brussels, as confirmed by the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg. NATO’s proposals go through recovering dialogue with Moscow through the NATO-Russia Council in order to reduce “security risks”.

“From our perspective, the door to NATO remains open,” Blinken insisted in relation to Russia’s request that NATO not expand to Ukraine and Georgia.

The US Secretary of State has also explained that the United States has established in its proposals a “serious diplomatic path for Russia to take peacefully and avoid a conflict. But, in any case, we are prepared for the opposite to happen”.


Blinken has also announced that he will speak with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in the “next few days”, in the midst of the crisis due to the fear that Moscow may attack Ukraine. And he has advanced that the “very serious sanctions” if this attack occurs “will financially affect Russia.”

“The document does several things,” said Blinken, who has denied that it was a great treaty in great detail: “It sets out our principles, which we will defend in every way; our concerns about Russia’s actions in Ukraine and in Europe , that threaten security; and areas are suggested where, reciprocally, we can advance collective security. They are ideas to advance collective security. President Biden has been personally involved in this document, we have taken ideas from our European allies ” .

Blinken concluded: “Now they have the document and the ball is in their court. Whether they choose the dialogue option or the aggression option, we are ready.”

Regarding the presence of Americans in Ukraine, the US Secretary of State has been clear: “Our message is that you seriously consider leaving.” However, Blinken has stressed that the US Embassy in Kiev will remain open.

“NATO stands ready to protect its allies”

The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has explained that the proposal delivered to Russia is based on the search for coordination channels with Moscow, in particular by recovering the meetings of the NATO-Russia Council and the military communication channels to “reduce the possibility of risks.

Stoltenberg has also called on Russia to de-escalate and “withdraw its troops from Ukraine.” [Crimea y Donbás]Moldova and Georgia”.

“NATO is a defensive alliance”, the Norwegian has said, “but it is ready to activate article 5 to help its members”.

Stoltenberg explained that the deployment of NATO military forces must be taken by the organization’s council: “We have increased the means and preparation, the presence in the Baltic countries and Poland, and I thank the 8,500 soldiers who has put on alert to participate in a possible operation”.

“Tensions are growing”, said the NATO secretary general, “Russia continues with the accumulation of military troops, we see more troops near Ukraine and also inside Belarus. And there is no transparency in these deployments, which add to the concern, tension, and show that there is no de-escalation, but more troops, more media and in more countries. At the same time, it makes it even more important to get involved in a political solution”.


Ceasefire in Ukraine

Meanwhile, in Paris, the foreign envoys from Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine have met – the so-called Normandy format – and have issued a statement in which they reaffirm their support for the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine as well as their commitment to the Minsk agreements – an agreement to end the war in eastern Ukraine, signed by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LNR) in September 2014– . They have agreed to meet again in Berlin in two weeks.

The four diplomatic representatives, according to the statement, “reaffirm that the Minsk agreements are the basis of the work of the Normandy format and are committed to reducing the current disagreements on the way forward. They support the unconditional observance of the ceasefire and full adherence to the measures to strengthen the ceasefire of July 22, 2020, regardless of differences on other issues of the implementation of the Minsk agreements”.

In addition, the four countries “discussed the importance of the Trilateral Contact Group[UkraineRussiaOSCE)anditsworkinggroupsintensifyingtheirtaskwithaviewtorapidprogressintheimplementationoftheMinskagreements.”

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has warned of the situation in the continent: “Europe is in danger”. The High Representative for Cooperation and Security of the EU launches the alert voice in the midst of a security crisis in the East, due to the noise of Russian tanks on the border with Ukraine. “I wish it were different,” he said Tuesday night at a conference in Brussels, “but the last two years have seen a serious worsening of our strategic environment. I am convinced that today we are experiencing the most dangerous moment since the end of the Cold War”.





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