“Useful and productive” – this is how Sergey Lavrov described talks with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. No one, including the main participants, expected any breakthrough from this meeting. But there is a result. The United States promised a written response to Russian proposals for security guarantees next week.
Last week, during the first round of consultations, journalists complained about the cold and expected a thaw in Russian-American relations. It’s so windy in Geneva today that the lake looks more like the sea during a hurricane. And now reporters are wondering if the atmosphere at the talks will match what is happening outside the window.
American rhetoric about Ukraine and the fact that some kind of Washington’s participation in the Normandy format would help get out of the crisis in Donbass, the situation only exacerbated.
“The situation is complicated. We will reformat this American attitude, we will bring them to work on our agenda, on security guarantees,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
There was a lot of press, and not all of them got to the start of the negotiations.
Preparations in the hall where the talks will take place ended at night. The tables were decorated with orchids, hydrangeas and lilacs. And these are the last minutes of preparations for the press, the Russian sector. From here it is more convenient to remove our delegation.
The fact that Washington has not yet prepared a written response to the Russian proposals and does not expect a breakthrough from the new Geneva meeting was announced in advance by the US State Department. Russia did not expect progress either. After all, it is much more important to stop trying to delay the dialogue.
And, although both diplomats called the meeting useful, they failed to move forward on the point of principle for Russia on non-expansion NATO.
“Today we heard from the United States some repetition of arguments about the freedom to choose alliances. And we told them about the OSCE principle that one cannot build one’s security at the expense of someone else’s,” says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Statements about the Russian threat to Ukraine were made both at the talks and at press conferences. Russia once again reminded that plans for an attack on Ukraine exist only in the headlines of the Western media and statements by politicians. Blinken, in turn, offered to prove peaceful intentions and withdraw Russian troops deep into Russian territory.
“Moscow does not claim zones of influence, but what NATO is doing now with respect to Ukraine shows that the alliance views this country in this way. President Zelensky, who was taken under their wing by our Western colleagues, patronizes him, encouraging him to any antics, said publicly : if any of the citizens of Ukraine feels Russian, let them leave Ukraine for Russia. And those who in the Donbass oppose state terrorism from the side of the Kiev regime, he called not people, but individuals, as you remember. Therefore, who threatens whom – big question,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Russia and the US are ready to organize a summit of leaders. But it can take place only after Washington responds to proposals for legal security guarantees.
“Based on today’s talks, Minister Lavrov and I agreed on the importance of continuing the diplomatic process. I told him that after consultations in the coming days with allies and partners, we expect to be able to share our concerns and ideas with Russia in more detail. in writing next week,” US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.
In response, Washington plans to describe its concerns. The Russian Foreign Ministry would not like to publish this document.
“This is a question that will need to be asked to our American colleagues. I thought about it today. But so far there is no answer, we will not raise this topic, since this is their property, which will be transferred to us as their position,” the Russian Foreign Minister said. Sergey Lavrov.
After Washington finally puts its position on paper, a new meeting between Lavrov and Blinken is possible. But it is too early to talk about its timing.
More news on the topic – on the media platform “Looking”.