The topic of the conversation was Russian troops at the borders of Ukraine and guarantees regarding NATO in eastern Europe.
On Wednesday, December 15, US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried met in Moscow with high-ranking Russian officials – Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak and Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
This was reported at the US Embassy in Russia. .
At this meeting, a State Department spokesman expressed US concerns about Russia's military build-up near Ukraine's borders and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“US Assistant Secretary of State Donfried stressed that progress in ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine is possible with the implementation of the Minsk agreements and that the United States is ready to support diplomatic efforts in support of the Normandy format,” the message says.
At the same time , Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov took the opportunity to discuss Moscow's proposals on European security, including guarantees for NATO's eastward expansion.
US Assistant Secretary of State Donfried will convey these proposals to Washington, as well as to allies and partners. After her visit to Moscow, she will go to Brussels to discuss the results of the talks.
According to the Russian Interfax news agency, Kozak and Donfried also “agreed to continue interaction with the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, taking into account US President Biden's statement at the Geneva Summit. position on the need for the obligatory granting of a special status to Donbass to end the conflict. “
