Russia’s main concerns over Ukraine not addressed by NATO, US says Foreign Minister Lavrov
CNNMoscow CNN — The written responses presented by the United States and NATO to Russia’s security demands fail to address Moscow’s concerns over the eastward expansion of the military alliance, Russia’s Foreign Minister said Thursday as fears of a possible invasion of Ukraine remain high. NATO sees ‘room for progress’ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the US’s written response to Russia “sets out a serious diplomatic path forward should Russia choose it.” The US has repeatedly said Putin’s central demand, that the US and NATO commit to never admitting Ukraine to the alliance, is non-negotiable. Blinken declined to detail specifics presented to Moscow in the written response, but reiterated the West’s public response to uphold NATO’s “open-door policy,” rejecting Moscow’s demands that NATO commit to never admitting Ukraine. NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that the alliance’s written response was sent in “parallel with the United States.” Although the positions of Moscow and the alliance are “far apart,” the NATO chief outlined three main areas where NATO sees “room for progress.” He asked that Moscow and NATO reopen their “respective offices in Moscow and in Brussels.” It is unclear whether the latest diplomatic overture, which Moscow had sought, will change the course of talks between Russia and the West that have continued over the past several weeks.