Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Russia began to lay out its demands for security guarantees in Europe to NATO’s 30 allies on Wednesday, following intense talks https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/prospects-dim-us-russia-start-tense-talks-over-ukraine-crisis-2022-01-10 with the United States in Geneva that showed the two sides have major differences to bridge.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg received Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko at allied headquarters to try to defuse the worst East-West tensions since the Cold War, triggered primarily by a confrontation over Ukraine https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/why-is-russias-putin-so-focused-ukraine-2021-12-15, which the United States says Russia is planning to invade.

Moscow dismisses such claims, though it is massing troops https://www.reuters.com/world/us/kremlin-says-its-not-optimistic-us-talks-wont-let-them-drag-2022-01-11 near the Ukrainian border.

NATO-Russian Council talks include ministers, envoys from NATO and a Russian delegation headed by Grushko. These talks are NATO’s most prominent attempt to transform a possible military conflict with Ukraine into a diplomatic and political process.

NATO diplomats claim that Russia would be considered a success if they agreed to continue talks. Allies are willing to discuss with Moscow increasing transparency about military drills to avoid conflict and arms control over missiles in Europe.

NATO Allies insist that Russia’s demands are not acceptable. These include calls to reduce the activities of the alliance to levels from the 1990s, and to promise to stop accepting new members.

“Let us be very clear. Russian actions caused this crisis. On Tuesday evening, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said that she was committed to diplomacy in order to calm the situation.

She said that Russia should withdraw its 100,000 troops near Ukraine.

Bridling at NATO’s expansion eastward into its old Soviet sphere of influence, the Kremlin sees the U.S.-led alliance’s deterrents and military modernisation https://tmsnrt.rs/3t6NjIX as a threat.

Russia held live fire exercises near the Ukrainian border with tanks and troops on Tuesday, while U.S. officials expressed concern about prospects of further talks.

Grushko was a former Russian diplomat to NATO. Sergei Ryabkov (his direct collegue and former Russian ambassador to NATO), said on Wednesday that Ukraine shouldn’t be allowed into NATO.

NATO doesn’t have immediate plans to accept Ukraine but states that Russia is not allowed to dictate the relations between them and other sovereign nations.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a larger body that includes the United States and Europe, will host talks this week in Vienna.

“Our primary goal, in principle is to establish dialogue. According to U.S. transcripts of interviews with Russia’s TV Rain, Carpenter said that “there are no negotiations as such” this week.