“Now that [президент РФ Владимир] Putin has published his ideas for a new agreement on European security, let me suggest some additional articles to the draft agreement, “he wrote.
McFaul believes that Russia needs to fulfill six points:
McFaul stressed that he “has something to add, but that is enough to keep the negotiations going.”
Context:
In the spring of 2021, Russia built up troops near the border with Ukraine and in the occupied Crimea. In late October, American media began reporting that Russia pulls up troops again to the border with Ukraine.
On November 21, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov said that RF prepares for an attack on Ukraine in late January or early February, and the attack will be “much more destructive than any before.” Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov said in an interview with Politico, published on December 13, that near the border of Ukraine there are about 100 thousand Russian military, which can attack on several fronts at once, using artillery, tanks and aircraft.
In the Kremlin called the messages about the preparation of the invasion “stuffing”, said that “Russia is not going to attack anyone and is not hatching any aggressive plans,” and accused Kiev of preparing to aggression “against” LPR “and” DPR “. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine denied the disinformation of the Russian Federation about the alleged preparation for a military attack in Donbass.
The United States and NATO have repeatedly called on Russia to de-escalation of stress at the border.
December 7 Presidents of Russia and the United States Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden had a two hour conversation over a secure video link. The White House said Biden had expressed “deep concern” for the United States and its European allies over the Russian build-up of forces around Ukraine. Biden warned Putin about “decisive economic and other measures” in the event of an invasion of Ukraine.
During the conversation, Putin said that NATO attempts to “develop” the territory Ukraine and demanded “reliable, legally fixed guarantees“that NATO will not expand eastward. The White House noted that Biden did not make concessions to the Russian side regarding the possible entry of Ukraine into NATO.
On December 10, Russia demanded that the North Atlantic Alliance officially withdraw a promise Ukraine on its entry into NATO. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that the right of every people to choose their own path remains fundamental to NATO.
December 17 The Russian Foreign Ministry published its proposals on “security guarantees”, according to which the United States must undertake a commitment to exclude further expansion of NATO “in the eastern direction”, to refuse admission to the Alliance and military cooperation with the states that were previously part of the USSR.
Ukraine also put forward its demands in response to the Kremlin’s statements.
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