NATO chief says talks on missile limits with Russia should not be held in public: Report

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday, January 13, stated that concrete options for limiting Russia and NATO's missiles should not be addressed publicly as it may jeopardise the prospects of success. Addressing a press conference, he stated that both sides can hold negotiations to re-establish missile restrictions, as long as they are reciprocal, balanced, and verifiable.

"Exact numbers, scale and scope, and how we do that, I believe those are the kinds of diplomatic negotiations that should not be held in public because they will only hinder the chances of a good resolution," Stoltenberg was quoted by Russia-owned Tass news agency as saying. 

Stoltenberg also stated that the alliance was willing to negotiate both constraints and a ban on intermediate-range missiles. The alliance has made it very clear that it is open to meet and discuss different types of constraints at various levels, as long as they are balanced and transparent, Stoltenberg said.

"We reached an agreement that not only limited but also outright prohibited all intermediate-range weapons, which are a major source of concern in Europe," the NATO chief claimed as per the Russian news agency. 

INF Treaty terminated over alleged violation by Russia: NATO chief

The Secretary-General also reiterated NATO's view that the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was terminated as a result of Russia's purported violations of it which also led to the US' unilateral withdrawal from it in August 2019.

Meanwhile, last month, Russia's Foreign Ministry presented draft proposals on security guarantees between Russia, the United States, and the NATO countries in Europe. The proposals seek to restrict NATO from expanding in eastern Europe. To discuss this, security talks between Russia and NATO Council were held in Brussels on January 12, but they failed to yield any result. 

NATO, US refuse to agree to Russia's key security demands

It is significant to mention here that NATO and the US have refused to agree to Russia's key security objectives for easing current tensions over Ukraine. The US and NATO, on the other hand, have left the door open for discussions with Russia on arms control and missile deployments. Meanwhile, both NATO and Russia also emphasised the importance of persistent discussions, particularly on arms control and missile deployment, as well as NATO's military presence in Eastern Europe.

(Image: AP/Representative)