The request comes after Russia said it had received “no positive response” from the United States over its main security concerns. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 27 that the US response had shown no “willingness” to adapt to Russia’s concerns, that there were “few” reasons for optimism, but that there were always prospects for further dialogue. ”.
In a separate statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia’s main request that Ukraine not be accepted into NATO had been ignored, but that it would be possible to move forward on other issues.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told Free Europe that the real response from Russia is expected from Vladimir Putin. “My opinion is that the only person who knows is President Putin,” Blinken said.
On January 27, US President Joe Biden spoke again on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, assuring him that the United States and its allies would “respond decisively” if Russia invaded Ukraine again.
Earlier in the day, the United States and NATO rejected Moscow’s request to permanently close the NATO door to Ukraine and to withdraw troops and military equipment deployed in NATO countries from Eastern Europe. In a letter to Moscow, the United States said it had proposed a “serious diplomatic path” to Russia to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, depending on President Vladimir Putin’s reaction.
0 Comments