[ad_1]
A US official said NATO members “stand united” ahead of talks with Russia on the future of European security, as concerns have grown over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The 30 members of the Western Military Alliance will meet with Russian officials on January 12 in Brussels to discuss Moscow’s demands for security guarantees, as well as the gathering of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine.
Russia is urging NATO to halt eastward expansion and reverse the progress made since the 1990s in Central and Eastern Europe.
“It has become quite clear that no ally within the NATO alliance during the talks will give up anything related to NATO policy” for the admission of new members, said on January 11 the US Ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith .
“NATO is open and committed to a genuine reciprocal dialogue with Russia,” she said.
“At the same time, we stand united in preventing threats against NATO allies and Russian aggression against our partners in Europe,” Smith added.
Russia has amassed almost 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and on the occupied Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea. These moves, according to the United States, could be preparations for the invasion of Ukraine.
Western officials and analysts say the gathering of Russian troops could be an attempt to pressure the United States and its European allies to make concessions.
Smith reiterated the U.S. call for Russia to strain the situation by withdrawing troops and engaging in diplomacy.
NATO pledged in 2008 to admit Ukraine and Georgia – two former Soviet states bordering Russia – into the Alliance in the future.
Russia has called Ukraine’s membership in NATO a “red line”. Many analysts estimate that Kiev’s membership in NATO could happen in a decade.
top channel
[ad_2]
Source link
