US, NATO willing to continue dialogue with Russia
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Following the NATO-Russia Council meeting, the US and NATO have expressed willingness to continue dialogue with Moscow.
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The US claims it is committed to a diplomatic path
In a statement on Friday, the US Department of State announced that the US and NATO are "ready to meet again with Russia and are committed to pursuing continued diplomacy and reciprocal dialogue. The United States and its NATO allies are united on the diplomatic path forward and urge Russia to take immediate action to deescalate its ongoing aggression against Ukraine."
Following the NATO-Russia Council meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke emphasized that the US and the alliance are ready to continue the discussion with Moscow.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday that the alliance is interested in resuming contacts with Russia in terms of diplomatic missions, but refuses to make any concessions regarding its future expansion.
The first meeting since 2019 between high-level delegations from NATO and Russia on security guarantees in Europe took place at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday to exchange concerns over security issues. The meeting came after the US-Russia talks in Geneva held on Monday.
Russian Embassy calls on the US to work on security guarantees
In response to the White House's accusations about Moscow's purported preparations for an invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Embassy in the United States has urged Washington to participate in serious work on security assurances and to address international problems via discussion.
"We call on the United States to engage in substantive work to ensure security guarantees based on the draft agreements proposed by the Russian side," the Russian Embassy posted on Facebook, adding that "Russia is against the war. We stand for a diplomatic solution to all international problems."
Hours before the Russian-US talks in Geneva, Antony Blinken said Russia had the choice between dialogue and confrontation.
"There's a path of dialogue and diplomacy to try to resolve some of these differences and avoid a confrontation," Blinken told CNN.
He asserted that the other path consisted of "confrontation and massive consequences for Russia if it renews its aggression on Ukraine. We are about to test the proposition about which path President Putin is prepared to take."
Putin: Moscow pursues a peaceful foreign policy
President Vladimir Putin had said earlier this month Moscow pursues a peaceful foreign policy; however, it has every right to defend its security.
Russia has been demanding a written commitment that Ukraine would never be able to join NATO and that the alliance would not place any military equipment in certain countries in the region surrounding Russia.
The Kremlin sees that it is best for Russian security that the alliance does not expand eastward and that Russia does not have any Western military activity in its vicinity.
In December, Russia presented draft agreements on security guarantees in Europe to the United States and NATO. These guarantees include legal obligations that NATO will refrain from advancing eastward and accepting new members from the former Soviet Union, especially Ukraine and Georgia, as well as from creating NATO military bases on the territories of former Soviet countries. Another proposal is the non-deployment of short- and intermediate-range missiles in the region.
