According to Peskov, the United States and NATO are trying to avoid understanding the most important problems for Russia, instead of providing answers to Moscow’s proposed security guarantees. “Direct responses [по гарантиям безопасности] We didn’t get it,” he said.
The presidential spokesman also said that Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO would be a meaningful response to Russia’s security concerns.
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Russia handed over draft security assurance agreements to the United States and NATO in December 2021. The main demands of the Russian side are the non-expansion of NATO to the east (including due to the refusal of membership to Ukraine and Georgia), the non-deployment by Russia and the bloc of weapons on the territory of European countries, except for the forces that were there by 1997, and the refusal of the alliance from military activities in Ukraine.
Putin approved the Foreign Ministry’s draft with Russia’s responses on security guarantees
In early January, Moscow discussed draft treaties with the United States, NATO and the OSCE. It was not possible to achieve specific agreements at these talks.
On January 26, Washington and the North Atlantic Alliance handed over to Russia written responses to its proposals. Their content was published by the newspaper El Pais. The United States has refused to compromise on issues of principle for them (including the preservation of NATO’s “open door” principle), but is ready to discuss other issues, such as arms control.
The Foreign Ministry formulated a response to the proposals of the West on ten pages, it was approved by Putin.
On February 12, the Russian President spoke with his American counterpart Joe Biden. The Kremlin said that the US president during the conversation offered Putin a number of considerations on Moscow’s concerns, but they do not relate to key Russian proposals for security guarantees.
On the same day, Putin spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron. They discussed the situation in Ukraine and security in Europe.