https://sputnikglobe.com/20220126/us-will-uphold-natos-open-door-policy-ready-to-discuss-security-concerns-blinken-says-1092536476.html
US Will Uphold NATO's 'Open-Door' Policy, Ready to Discuss Security Concerns, Blinken Says
US Will Uphold NATO's 'Open-Door' Policy, Ready to Discuss Security Concerns, Blinken Says
Sputnik International
Moscow confirmed Wednesday that it received a formal written response from Washington on security proposals presented by the Russian Foreign Ministry in... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International
2022-01-26T18:03+0000
2022-01-26T18:03+0000
2022-08-06T13:28+0000
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The United States has formally submitted its written response to Russia on Moscow's security proposals, will not budge on NATO's 'open door' policy, but remains prepared to discuss Russia's security concerns, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.The US response includes concerns that Washington and its allies have raised, and constitutes a 'principled and pragmatic' evaluation of concerns broached by Russia in recent meetings, Blinken said in a press briefing Wednesday.Washington, the diplomat said, has given Moscow a "serious diplomatic path forward," should Russia choose to pursue it, and reflects US "openness" to dialogue.Blinken assured that the US response was "fully coordinated" with its European allies and with Ukraine, and said that Russia was told in no uncertain terms that Ukraine remains free to "choose" its own allies.The US diplomat noted that he expects to have a follow-on discussion of the formal written response with his Russian counterpart - Sergei Lavrov "in the coming days."He further indicated that additional US arms deliveries are also expected to arrive in Ukraine in the near future.Blinken noted that the formal response to Russia would not be released publicly to increase the chances of diplomacy 'succeeding', but said that the document broadly reiterates what has already been said publicly.He also expressed hope that Russia would not make the US response to the security proposals public. Russian officials confirmed earlier that they would honour such a commitment.Russia issued a pair of security agreement proposals to the US and NATO in mid-December, saying the draft treaties - if signed and implemented, would have the potential to considerably ease tensions in Europe. Along with limits on troop, missile, warship and aircraft deployments in areas where they might be considered threatening to the other side, the Russian proposals ask NATO to scrap any plans to incorporate Ukraine or any other former Soviet republic into the bloc.Moscow came up with the proposals amid escalating tensions with NATO over Ukraine, and after decades of eastward expansion by the Western alliance despite formal commitments not to expand beyond the eastern boundaries of a reunified Germany in 1990.
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US Will Uphold NATO's 'Open-Door' Policy, Ready to Discuss Security Concerns, Blinken Says
18:03 GMT 26.01.2022 (Updated: 13:28 GMT 06.08.2022) Moscow confirmed Wednesday that it received a formal written response from Washington on security proposals presented by the Russian Foreign Ministry in December aimed at easing tensions between Russia and the Western alliance. The proposals call on both sides to pull back troops and missiles, and ask NATO to scrap plans to swallow up Ukraine.
The United States has formally submitted its written response to Russia on Moscow's security proposals, will not budge on NATO's 'open door' policy, but remains prepared to discuss Russia's security concerns, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
The US response includes concerns that Washington and its allies have raised, and constitutes a 'principled and pragmatic' evaluation of concerns broached by Russia in recent meetings, Blinken
said in a press briefing Wednesday.
"We understand Russia has concerns about security, we also have our own concerns about security [which] we are ready to discuss," he said.
Washington, the diplomat said, has given Moscow a "serious diplomatic path forward," should Russia choose to pursue it, and reflects US "openness" to dialogue.
Blinken assured that the US response was "fully coordinated" with its European allies and with Ukraine, and said that Russia was told in no uncertain terms that Ukraine remains free to "choose" its own allies.
"We make clear that there are core principles that we are committed to uphold and defend, including Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the right to choose their own security arrangements and alliances," he said.
The US diplomat noted that he expects to have a follow-on discussion of the formal written response with his Russian counterpart - Sergei Lavrov "in the coming days."
He further indicated that additional US arms deliveries are also expected to arrive in Ukraine in the near future.
Blinken noted that the formal response to Russia would not be released publicly to increase the chances of diplomacy 'succeeding', but said that the document broadly reiterates what has already been said publicly.
He also expressed hope that Russia would not make the US response to the security proposals public. Russian officials confirmed earlier that they would honour such a commitment.
Russia issued a pair of security agreement proposals to the US and NATO in mid-December, saying the draft treaties - if signed and implemented, would have the potential to considerably ease tensions in Europe. Along with limits on troop, missile, warship and aircraft deployments in areas where they might be considered threatening to the other side, the Russian proposals ask NATO to scrap any plans to incorporate Ukraine or any other former Soviet republic into the bloc.
Moscow came up with the proposals amid escalating tensions with NATO over Ukraine, and after decades of eastward expansion by the Western alliance despite formal commitments not to expand beyond the eastern boundaries of a reunified Germany in 1990.
