Press Secretary Peskov: relations between Russia and NATO have reached the limit due to the invasion of Ukraine
Photo: Sergey Guneev / RIA Novosti
Relations between Russia and NATO have reached a “red line” due to the gradual invasion of the alliance in Ukraine. This was announced by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, reports TASS.
We are talking, in particular, about supplying Kiev with defensive and offensive weapons and training the Ukrainian military. According to Peskov, this state of affairs is a real threat to stability and security in Europe, and Moscow “cannot tolerate this situation any longer.”
We are witnessing a gradual NATO invasion of the territory of Ukraine with its infrastructure, its instructors, stocks of defensive and offensive weapons, training of the Ukrainian military, and the like.
Dmitry Peskov Press Secretary of the President of Russia
The presidential spokesman stressed that Russia considers it necessary to leave its troops near the border with Ukraine as a precautionary measure and a reaction to the unfriendly atmosphere “created by various NATO exercises, fighter jets and spy planes.”
“Russia's patience has come to an end”
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the North Atlantic Alliance made promises not to move military infrastructure to the east, but they were “rudely thrown into the basket”, and the organization came close to the borders of Russia.
Moscow has run out of patience because of Western actions that threaten Russia's security and do not encourage the signing of security treaties. Now she is waiting for response from representatives of Washington and Brussels, Lavrov said during a press conference.
Russia's patience with the West's actions has come to an end, we harnessed for a long time – now it's time to go
Sergei LavrovRussian Foreign Minister
Results of the Russia-NATO meeting
On January 12, a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council was held in Brussels: this meeting took place after negotiations on security guarantees between Russia and the United States. At the meeting, the parties touched upon the draft treaties published by Moscow with the US and NATO on security guarantees.
The talks between the parties lasted more than four hours. The Russian delegation at the meeting was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Grushko and Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Alexander Fomin. On behalf of NATO, the talks were attended by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and representatives of 30 resident countries of the alliance.
Stoltenberg said that the upcoming meeting is a timely opportunity for a meaningful dialogue with the Russian side. According to him, the most important moment for European security has now come. The Kremlin insisted on ending the alliance's military cooperation with the post-Soviet countries, refusing to create bases on their territory, limiting the deployment of strike weapons near the Russian border, removing American nuclear weapons from Europe, and guaranteeing NATO's non-expansion to the east.
British reaction
After the completion of the talks between Russia and NATO, Secretary General Stoltenberg and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also discussed the situation in Europe and Ukraine, as well as the prospects for continuing dialogue with Moscow within the Russia-NATO Council.
An afterword to Russia's talks with the United States, NATO and the OSCE was a statement by the head of British diplomacy Liz Truss. The British Foreign Office asked Russia not to attack Ukraine, stressing at the same time that Moscow would try to justify invading a neighboring country.
“Russia is conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at destabilizing and justifying the invasion of the territory of neighboring Ukraine. Russia must contain its aggression, reduce tensions and engage in meaningful negotiations,” Truss wrote.
Next steps
On January 14, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken held telephone conversations with Stoltenberg, TASS reports.
During the dialogue, the US Secretary of State discussed with the NATO Secretary General further actions after the meeting of the Russia-NATO Council. The State Department announced the readiness of Washington and the alliance to hold a new meeting with Russia.
The United States and NATO are ready to meet again with Russia and are committed to continuing diplomatic engagement and reciprocal dialogue
Press office of the US State Department
Blinken wrote on his Twitter that he was glad to talk with Secretary General Stoltenberg. “The US and NATO are united and ready for further mutual dialogue with Russia,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ryabkov said that at present Moscow has no grounds for new meetings with representatives of the American side on security guarantees in Europe. Ryabkov also noted that Washington and NATO do not want to abandon the further expansion of the alliance to the east.
