The American mission has strict measures on coronavirus. Two photographers and cameramen from each side are invited to the protocol shooting. Apparently, for the same reasons, the heads of delegations dispensed with handshakes.
Expecting at least a minimal warming in relations between Moscow and Washington, fifty journalists complained to each other (and reported on the air) that Monday in Geneva turned out to be cold. Swiss diplomats came to the rescue – they invited the reporters to warm up with tea and coffee. The watch lasted about eight hours. The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister described this dialogue as difficult, professional, without attempts to embellish anything. Among Russia’s proposals on legal security guarantees, Moscow calls three points mandatory, an absolute imperative.
This is NATO’s abandonment of plans for expansion, the return of the North Atlantic Alliance to the positions of 1997, as well as the refusal of its Western partners to deploy strike weapons near our borders.
“What is needed is a NATO step towards Russia. If not, assessments of the situation will be given taking into account the totality of all factors. Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who headed the negotiations on the American side, in parallel with Ryabkov gave a telephone briefing and in it once again uttered Washington’s favorite mantra that there would be no talk about Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation. Questions about the Russian invasion, which will never happen, were raised both at the briefing in our mission, where a lot of Western press came, and at the talks themselves.
“We explained to our colleagues that we have no plans and intentions to“ attack ”and cannot exist, and all measures for the combat training of troops are carried out within our national territories, and there is no reason to fear any dislocation scenario in this regard,” – noted the Russian diplomat.
Reinforced concrete guarantees for Ukraine’s non-accession are needed, emphasizes Sergei Ryabkov. But instead of that, the USA voices proposals on mutual limits on military exercises and words about a chance to restore the treaty on intermediate and shorter-range missiles. This document, by the way, at one time ceased to exist with the filing of the same Washington.
Moscow sees no contradictions in reanimating the INF Treaty against the background of a dialogue on security guarantees. But it is much more important to fulfill all the points that are fundamentally important for Moscow. There are all prerequisites for the continuation of the dialogue, but it is difficult to talk about the terms of work.
“Russian officials have publicly and privately stated that they want to move the talks quickly – the United States is ready for this. At the same time, negotiations on such complex issues as arms control cannot be limited to a few days or even weeks,” she said Wendy Sherman.
Recommendations to the country’s leadership on whether it makes sense to continue negotiations on security guarantees or not will be formulated by Russian diplomats after negotiations are held on the two remaining nodes.
On January 13, in Vienna, the draft legal documents will be discussed by the OSCE, but this event will bring together too many participants – 57 at once. Therefore, much more will depend on the outcome of the Russia-NATO meeting to be held in Brussels on Wednesday.
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