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Updated January 13th, 2022 at 08:09 IST

NATO, Moscow have 'no room for common positive agenda': Russia's Deputy FM after key talks

NATO-Russia talks “have no room for a common positive agenda” which had previously existed, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
NATO
IMAGE: AP/Twitter/@USNATO | Image:self
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After NATO-Russia Council [NRC] held the crucial second of the three dialogues scheduled between Western powers and Moscow on Wednesday, Jan. 12 to discuss Russian draft treaties, and defuse tensions over the Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin earlier yesterday indicated that the key negotiations had “no meaningful breakthroughs.” The meeting was convened in Brussels for the first time since July 2019. Despite at least 4-hour of discussions, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the risk for armed conflict in Europe was “real" and that during the key dialogue between Moscow and at least 30 NATO members, which wasn’t easy, “no gaps were bridged.”

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko echoed similar disgruntled sentiments as he declared that the NATO-Russia talks “have no room for a common positive agenda” which had previously existed. He emphasised that the NATO and Western alliance clearly demonstrated that talks had hit a deadlock with their recent diplomatic spat creating hurdles in the implementation of the Russian draft treaties. According to Grushko, Moscow had noticed a "reversal to the old NATO” which is aimed at deterring Russia and undermining its regional security.  

"We support peaceful solutions based on reasonable balance," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told a press conference after the meeting. He lambasted NATO and Western powers for striving to "contain Russia" and gain "superiority."

"I think we [Russia] managed to make it clear to NATO members that the situation is becoming intolerable for us," he warned after the consultation, accusing NATO of "unfriendly" actions. 

NATO, Russia had 'many disagreements', very unpredictable and dire consequences for European security: Russia Deputy FM

Russia-NATO Council talk was “open and direct”, Grushko said, according to Russia’s state-affiliated news agencies. He categorically stressed that the two sides had “many disagreements” despite that Moscow spoke “candidly, directly and without politically correct formulas” with NATO about the “possible outcomes” for the European security in case of a further deterioration of an already heated up situation. Russian officials derided NATO's expanding military presence in Eastern European countries, as he said: "The expansion does not resolve the issue of security. The expansion just moves the division lines, not removes them." 

"We candidly, directly, without equivocating or using any politically correct formulas stressed [to NATO] that further escalation of the situation can result in very unpredictable and dire consequences for European security," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said at the press conference following the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels.

'We rejected those demands,' says NATO

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, meanwhile, told a press conference post the second round of consultations with Russia that the talks that happened for the first time in 2 years, marked a "defining moment for European security.” The latter stressed that the dialogue focused on the situation in and around Ukraine, but it was a difficult and "direct" one, adding that the differences with Kremlin “will not be easy to bridge.” He, although, reiterated that it was a positive sign for “all 30 NATO allies that sat down with Russia after two years.”

Both NATO and Russia stressed that there was a need of further dialogues, particularly on the arms control and missile deployment, and NATO’s military deployment in Eastern Europe. The two sides also discussed about reestablishing offices in Brussels and Moscow, as both Russia and the alliance had shut offices and suspended mission during the October, 2021. The move was prompted after NATO expelled Russian diplomats over espionage allegations, which Kremlin retaliated. About the draft proposal outlining Russia’s security guarantees that were published last month, NATO said: “We rejected those demands.” 

Russia held the first round of dialogue with the US in Geneva on January 10, and the third round of talks are now scheduled at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on January 13, where Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin will represent Moscow. 

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Published January 13th, 2022 at 08:09 IST

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