Russia, US take tough stands for NATO talks

BRUSSELS－Russia laid out its demands for security guarantees in Europe to NATO's 30 members on Wednesday, after the United States and its allies coordinated their stance on Tuesday ahead of new NATO-Russia talks to defuse the Ukrainian border crisis.

Envoys from Moscow and Washington held inconclusive talks on Monday in Geneva on how to avert confrontation after the worst East-West tensions since the Cold War, triggered primarily by a confrontation over Ukraine. The US said Russia is planning to attack its neighbor, but Moscow dismissed the claim, saying it has the right to deploy troops wherever necessary along the border.

After seven hours of talks on Monday, Russian and US officials both offered to keep talking, though there was no breakthrough.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the Geneva talks as "open, comprehensive and direct", but emphasized that Moscow wants quick results. "We see no significant reason for optimism," he told reporters.

Peskov said Russia-NATO talks in Brussels on Wednesday and a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna on Thursday would show whether further negotiations are worthwhile.

"It will become clear in what direction and how to proceed and if it makes sense," he said. "We absolutely wouldn't accept dragging this process out endlessly."

On Wednesday in Brussels, Russia was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, who described the meeting as "a moment of truth" in Russia-NATO relations.

Moscow's demands included a concrete guarantee that Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO.

Western allies have long insisted that NATO membership is a matter for sovereign states to decide for themselves and vowed to preserve their open-door policy.

But, speaking after Monday's talks and ahead of his return to Brussels, Grushko insisted Russia would demand a comprehensive response from the alliance to its demands.

"Our expectations are entirely realistic and we hope that this will be a serious, deep conversation," he said.

"We will push for a concrete, substantive, article-by-article reaction to the Russian draft agreement on guarantees."

Julianne Smith, the new US ambassador to NATO, earlier told reporters that the talks could include a "discussion of reciprocal restrictions on exercises".

She described the broad themes of Wednesday's talks as "risk reduction, transparency, arms control and various ways in which we communicate with each other－that is NATO and Russia".

No reason for optimism

"There's no reason to be optimistic," a senior European diplomat told Agence France-Presse. "But the Russians are seriously engaged on the diplomatic track."

Wendy Sherman, deputy secretary of state and negotiator for the US, was in Brussels on Tuesday to brief allies, some of whom were worried they might be sidelined.

"The US is committed to working in lockstep with our allies and partners to urge de-escalation and respond to the security crisis caused by Russia," she tweeted.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "NATO'S relationship with Ukraine is a matter only for Ukraine and the 30 NATO allies, not for other countries to determine."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his demand on Tuesday that France and Germany join a new international summit between Moscow and Kiev to end the crisis.

The French presidency said the Kremlin had agreed for France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine to hold talks "by the end of January".

Sergiy Nykyforov, Zelensky's spokesman, said in a video statement sent to AFP: "We trust our partners and their statements that no decision on the fate of Ukraine will be taken behind our back."

Agencies via Xinhua