The statement by US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, about the indication in the American response to the Russian Federation’s security proposals of NATO’s commitment to the principle of “open doors” suggests that the Russian side may move to military-technical measures, as the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Dmitry Novikov, said.
“It means that our proposals have not been accepted, and this means that it is necessary to react in accordance with the intentions that were announced – about Russia’s readiness to provide a military-technical response in the current situation,” Novikov said.
He noted that though he just expresses his personal point of view, still “if NATO does not abandon the principle of ‘open doors’ and, as part of this principle, fixes its readiness to discuss the details of Ukraine and Georgia’s accession to NATO, then agreements have not been reached.” According to Novikov, “the answer should not include one or two steps, the answer should be complex, multi-vector, and multidirectional.”
In turn, the First Deputy Head of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Vladimir Dzhabarov, noted that Moscow has a freedom of action after negotiations with the West and the unsatisfactory response of the US to Russian proposals on security guarantees.
“We have gone our way through negotiations, we did not hide, we did not hide anything. We have honestly stated our position. We assumed that the answer would be something like this, but we had to do it so that tomorrow we would not be accused of avoiding some kind of peace agreement. Now our hands are untied, and we can do as we want,” Dzhabarov said.
After the NATO’s Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, said the alliance“will not compromise” on potential expansion into Ukraine, Georgia, and other former Soviet republics, as this clashes with the “core principles” of the alliance, Dzhabarov expressed his unsatisfaction with the situation and warned that if NATO doesn’t want to solve this disagreement, “then we will expand our positions,” though noting that he was not talking about territorial positions but different ones.
“How will we expand? I think, after the relevant report of military and political experts to the country’s leadership, proposals will be developed for our President, the Supreme Commander-in-chief, how to counter the increased American and NATO threat against the Russian Federation,” Dzhabarov believes.
Dzhabarov also said that Russia’s retaliatory sanctions against the US “may simply shake them.”
“They don’t understand what a dangerous topic they are raising,” he said.
Now, in his opinion, Russia needs to consult with its allies and partners whom it trusts. First of all, the official named China, India, CSTO allies, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba. In addition, he suggested that Russia may take a fresh look at its relations with Iran.
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, the US response on security guarantees has positive aspects for serious dialogue, but there is no reaction to Russia’s main question.
“As for the content of the document, there is a reaction there that allows us to count on the beginning of a serious conversation, but on secondary issues. There is no positive reaction on the main issue in this document,” the Minister stated.
He recalled that the main issue is the position of the Russian Federation on the inadmissibility of further expansion of NATO to the East and the deployment of strike weapons that could threaten the territory of the Russian Federation.
“As for the content of the response, I think it will become known to the general public in the near future, because, as our American colleagues told us, although they prefer that the document remains for confidential diplomatic dialogue, it is agreed with all US allies and with the Ukrainian side. Therefore, I have no doubt that in the very near future it will ‘leak’,” Lavrov said.
The minister added that the Russian Foreign Ministry, after interdepartmental coordination, will report to the country’s President, Vladimir Putin, on the content of the US and NATO responses and the head of state will decide on further steps.
Meanwhile, NATO is putting its armed forces on alert and sending additional ships and fighter jets to Eastern Europe, which was announced on Monday, not long before the answer on security guarantees was sent to Russia.
“NATO allies are putting forces on alert and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployment sites in Eastern Europe, strengthening the alliance’s deterrence and defence capabilities due to the fact that Russia continues to increase its military presence in and around Ukraine,” a statement published on the NATO website said.
Ru-Main, 27.01.2022
Source: Interfax
