Moscow Won't Stoop To Discussing NATO Demands On 'Deescalation Measures'

Moscow Won't Stoop to Discussing NATO Demands on 'Deescalation Measures' on Russia's Own Territory

Sputnik

The Russian Foreign Ministry laid down publicly a pair of security proposals to the US and NATO which Moscow believes could ease tensions considerably and end the East-West standoff over Ukraine. Russian and US officials are set to hold talks on strategic stability on Monday, followed by a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on Wednesday.

Russia is not prepared to discuss with the US and NATO any demands for 'deescalation measures' on its own territory in the course of the upcoming security talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.

"I can say that that...the demands of the United States and other NATO countries that we carry out some 'deescalation measures' on our territory are out of the question. This is a non-starter in the literal sense of the word. If the Americans want to talk about changing our approach, for example, to the Minsk Package of Measures [on peace in Ukraine] or even stutter about something like Crimea, this also has no chance for discussions," Ryabkov said in an interview with Russian media on Sunday.

Russia has not been thrown off balance by the "tough" position set by the US and its NATO allies ahead of this week's security talks, Ryabkov added.

"And of course, the NATO Secretariat is adding fire -sometimes burning with fire on this subject. But we have seen worse and this does not throw us off balance. We will explain persistently our logic and present arguments in support of our position," the diplomat added.

The senior diplomat, who arrived in Geneva Sunday for the upcoming Russia-US, Russia-NATO and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe talks this week, also emphasized that any agreements reached between the two sides must be legally binding, and stressed that there will be no problems on the ratification of any treaties from the Russian side.

Although many of the proposed security treaties' articles would be mutually observable, it would be up to the West to unilaterally reject further eastward expansion of NATO, and eliminate the existing military infrastructure it has established in the post-Soviet space, Ryabkov said.