NATO claims readiness for January talks with Russia
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he spoke with US State Secretary Antony Blinken, and confirms the alliance is ready for the upcoming talks with Russia over Ukraine.
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US State Department spokesperson said NATO and US discussed the upcoming US-Russia security dialogue.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted Friday that the military alliance is ready for talks with Russia on Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin suggested that NATO give Russia security guarantees.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Stoltenberg and US State Secretary Antony Blinken discussed the upcoming US-Russia strategic security dialogue on January 10 and the NATO-Russia Council on January 12.
Spoke to @SecBlinken on the importance of de-escalation of #Russia’s considerable military build-up in & around #Ukraine. #NATO stands united. We are prepared for dialogue in the NATO-Russia Council on Jan 12.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) December 31, 2021
Upcoming talks
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been aggravated in the past few weeks amid an alleged Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border and claims of preparations for invasion.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations, arguing that Russia has the right to relocate the troops within its territory at its own discretion, while NATO's military activity near Russian borders poses a threat to its security.
Russian proposals
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry submitted security proposals to negotiate security arrangements with the US and its NATO allies amid Ukraine tensions.
The Russian proposals to the US included calls not to expand NATO eastward or to set up bases in former Soviet republics.
According to a member of the US National Security Council, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are scheduled to meet on January 13.
It is noteworthy that US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the rising tensions over Ukraine between Moscow and the West in a phone call on Wednesday.
