The United States tells Moscow it is committed to keeping NATO open to new members, refuting a key Russian security request in written responses that could determine the outcome of the Ukraine crisis .
The move was announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, after weeks of tense negotiations with Russia aimed at defusing the impasse and eliminating the threat of armed conflict in Europe.
“NATO’s door is open, remains open and that remains our commitment,” Blinken said, adding that NATO would separately send its own responses to Russia’s requests.
The US response follows a request from Russian President Vladimir Putin for a written response to his security demands in the region.
Depending on Moscow’s reaction, coordinated Western responses could either lead to further escalation or further negotiations over security in Europe, causing Russia to pull back from the brink of an invasion.
“We are open to dialogue. We prefer diplomacy. And we are ready to move forward where there is opportunity for communication and cooperation,” Blinken said. He added that there were “positive things” that Moscow should accept in the document.
Blinken said he expected to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “after Moscow has had a chance to read the newspaper and is ready to discuss next steps.”
He added that Russia should defuse its “aggression” towards Ukraine, “stop the inflammatory rhetoric” and embrace a “spirit of reciprocity” in the European security talks.
The United States has frequently rejected Russian demands to ban Ukraine from joining the alliance or to reduce military personnel on NATO’s eastern flank. However, Western allies have said they are ready to negotiate on missile deployments and transparency around military exercises.
On Wednesday, US officials were unsure which direction Putin would go, but Wendy Sherman, assistant secretary of state, warned that Washington still had “every indication” that Russia was planning an attack by mid-February.
In recent days, US and NATO allies have stepped up defense and security assistance to Ukraine and put thousands of troops on standby to protect vulnerable countries on the eastern flank of the EU. alliance.
They also sought to iron out the details of a massive economic sanctions package to punish Russia if it followed through with an attack.
