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The United States on Wednesday (January 26th) rejected Russia’s request to ban Ukraine from joining NATO.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had prepared a “serious diplomatic route” for Moscow to resolve the confrontation, in a private letter to the Russian government.
“We make it clear that there are fundamental principles that we are committed to upholding and protecting, including the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the right of states to choose their own security agreements and alliances,” he said. .
Blinken addressed the media shortly after his deputy Wendy Sherman said the United States remained convinced Putin was ready to use force against Ukraine by mid-February.
He said the letter stressed that Kiev could choose its allies, opposing Moscow’s request for a promise that Ukraine would not join the NATO alliance.
Blinken told reporters that the letter would not be made public, “because we think diplomacy has the best chance of success.”
He said he would speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days about his response to the US stance.
“We have addressed the possibility of reciprocal transparency measures regarding the show of force and Ukraine, as well as measures to increase confidence in military exercises and maneuvers in Europe,” he said.
The letter, which was coordinated with Kiev and US allies in Europe, also opens the door to advancing arms control talks with Russia on the issue of missiles and nuclear weapons positioned in Europe.
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