Russian and U.S. negotiators will sit down for talks early next year to discuss Moscow s demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine, Russia s top diplomat said Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in January that Russia will start separate talks with NATO to discuss the issue, adding that separate negotiations will also be held under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Last week, Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and roll back the alliance's military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. Washington and its allies have refused to provide pledges, but they have said they are ready for the talks.
Moscow presented its demands amid the soaring tensions over a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine that has sparked fears of a possible invasion. U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in a conference call earlier this month that Russia will face serious consequences if it attacks Ukraine.
Putin has denied having plans to launch an attack, but he has described NATO's expansion to Ukraine and the deployment of alliance weapons there as a red line. Lavrov said on Wednesday that we don't want a war. We don't want to take the path of confrontation. We will firmly ensure our security using the means we consider necessary. In a live interview with Russian RT television, Lavrov praised Washington's business-like approach that helped quickly agree on parameters of the future talks. He added that Moscow would be ready to consider Washington's demands, but warned that the talks mustn't drag out indefinitely.
He said that he hopes that they will take us seriously given the moves we take to ensure our defense capability.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Washington is working with its European allies to address Russian aggression with diplomacy, but said Biden opposes the kind of guarantees sought by Putin.
The president has been very clear for many years about some basic principles that no one is moving back on, such as the principle that one country does not have the right to dictate the policies of another country, or tell that country they may associate with, Blinken told reporters in Washington. One country does not have the right to exert a sphere of influence. That notion should be relegated to the dustbin of history. Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said the talks should aim at reaching concrete results and not become drawn out. He said Moscow expects Washington to present a detailed platform for the talks and be ready for a constructive discussion.
We want these talks," he said in a conference call with reporters. The talks are held to discuss each other's positions.