Photo: Gennady Cherkasov
The US continues to analyze the negotiations in Geneva with Russia on security guarantees. One of the main results of the first meeting in the United States is that the parties failed to agree on NATO enlargement. In addition, the Russian Federation demands that the West not accept Ukraine and Georgia into the alliance.
Other demands of the Russian Federation include reducing NATO's military presence to the level of the 1990s. as a refusal to deploy forces and resources in the former Soviet countries that entered it. It is also stated that Washington is ready to discuss the issue of introducing “mutual restrictions on the scope of military exercises with increasing their transparency.”
Overall, The New York Times remarked, “Even without US concessions, Monday's talks are a kind of victory for the Kremlin, as the issue of NATO enlargement, which has long irritated Putin, has come to the fore.” And now the US authorities will have to deal with this problem.
Russian specialist Kadri Liik noted that the seriousness of the US preparations for the talks that took place was an important signal for Moscow. This was also noted by the head of the Russian delegation in Geneva, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov. “ Now things are called by real names, and that has a healing effect on our relations with the West, & # 39; & # 39; & mdash; & nbsp; argued on Monday. He also said that the intensification of Western military activity in Ukraine and also in the Black Sea was forcing Russia to make changes in the structure of its military organization in the region. In addition, Moscow fears “targeted provocations” by Kiev. Western officials believe that Moscow itself can organize a provocation to obtain an excuse to invade, writes Inosmi.
As for the US delegation, its head, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, noted that she hoped for a diplomatic solution to the problem. However, she emphasized that she was more concerned about the results.
Negotiations between Russia and the West will now continue on Wednesday 12 January in Brussels. There, Russian officials will meet with NATO members. A day later, on 13 January, a discussion will take place in Vienna at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Includes Russia, Ukraine and the United States.