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Russia and NATO are meeting in Brussels on Wednesday in a bid to reduce tensions along the border between Russia and Ukraine.
NATO opposes the gathering of Russian troops along the border, saying they undermine European security. For its part, Russia is seeking security guarantees such as limiting the expansion of NATO’s 30-member alliance, arguing that the membership of a country like Ukraine on its border poses a threat.
US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s talks that NATO is committed to seeing if diplomacy can ease the situation and that the general topics of discussion will be about “risk reduction,” transparency, control of weapons and the different ways in which we communicate with each other ”.
Ambassador Smith expressed US solidarity with Ukraine, adding that “Russian actions have fueled this crisis” and that NATO allies are ready to prevent further Russian aggression. “If Russia follows the path of confrontation and military action. “We have made it clear to the Kremlin that we will respond decisively, including through a series of high-impact economic measures,” said Smith. “We are ready to impose a heavy price on further Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
Wednesday’s meeting is the second of three opportunities this week for US and European diplomats to speak directly with Russian officials about the situation in Ukraine. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is meeting in Vienna on Thursday.
In Geneva on Monday, US and Russian diplomats held their first meeting, but both sides hinted that no major progress had been made. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the Geneva talks were “open, comprehensive and direct”, an assessment also made by Washington. But, he said that the result is what ultimately matters. “So far, let’s say we see no significant reason for optimism,” spokesman Peskov told reporters.
Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, told reporters on Tuesday that “we have not seen the slightest sign of relaxation” from Russia, which she said “created this crisis” by deploying 100,000 troops. on the eastern border of Ukraine.
At the Geneva talks, Russia demanded guarantees, rejected by the United States, that NATO end further eastward expansion and curb the deployment of troops in Eastern Europe. “NATO poses no threat to Russia. “It’s a defense alliance, the sole purpose of which is to protect its members.”
Western allies fear that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine after the annexation of its Crimean peninsula in 2014. Russia denies planning to invade the country that was once its satellite in the Soviet period, but has also not agreed to the demands. US to withdraw troops from the border.
US President Joe Biden has ruled out a military confrontation with Russia if it decides to attack Ukraine, but says the United States and its allies will impose strong economic sanctions if that happens. / VOA
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