Text version of the event published on the website of the US Department of State.
“There are several clearly unacceptable proposals that the Russians have put on the table,” Blinken said.
At the same time, there may be other issues that are more appropriate for discussion, added the US Secretary of State.
Blinken said President Joe Biden has spoken about core principles over the years that no one will back down. In particular, “the principle that one country has no right to change the borders of another country; that one country has no right to dictate policy to another or indicate to this country with whom it can be associated; one country has no right to exercise a sphere of influence.”
“This concept should be thrown into the dustbin of history. And these principles are indestructible. They are very clear … This will not change,” – said Blinken.
According to him, contacts between Washington and Moscow on security may begin in early 2022.
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft agreements on “security guarantees” between Russia, the United States and NATO, which were transferred on December 15 to US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried.
In particular, in Art. 4 of the draft agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States states that the United States must commit to exclude further NATO expansion “eastward”, refuse to admit to the Alliance states that were previously part of the USSR.
In addition, the draft treaty between the Russian Federation and NATO clarifies that the Russian Federation and all NATO members as of May 27, 1997 (that is, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Albania , Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia) do not deploy their armed forces and weapons on the territory of all other European states in addition to the forces stationed in this territory as of May 27, 1997, except in exceptional cases.
On December 17, the White House announced that it was familiar with the Russian draft agreements, stressing that the United States will not negotiate with the Russian Federation on “security guarantees” without allies in Europe. The United States plans to respond to the “security guarantees” proposed by the Russian Federation, this week, wrote Bloomberg referring to a senior official in the US presidential administration.
According to Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s dialogue with the Russian Federation should take place in consultation with European partners, such as Ukraine… The Russian Foreign Ministry said that are not going to be involved in negotiations on “security guarantees” for Ukraine, the draft of which presupposes NATO’s refusal to include the country in the Alliance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on December 21 that the security requirements of the Russian Federation are not an ultimatumbut the West must answer them.
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in response to the demands of the Russian Federation to NATO called on Russia as the first steps to achieve security guarantees on the European continent, “immediately and unconditionally return to the constructive agenda and begin the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the agreements of the leaders of the Normandy format” on the settlement of the conflict in Donbass.
Putin December 7 during online negotiations with Biden amid US media reports about pulling together Russian troops to the Ukrainian borders 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 from the North Atlantic Alliance officially withdraw a promise Ukraine on its entry into NATO. Stoltenberg, in response to this, emphasized that the right of every people to choose their own path remains fundamental to NATO.
Ukraine stepped up cooperation with NATO in 2014 against the background of annexation of Crimea by Russia and the armed conflict in Donbass. At the end of 2014, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law that provides for the refusal of Ukraine from the policy of “non-aligned”… In accordance with the Military Doctrine of Ukraine, adopted in 2015, deepening cooperation with NATO is a priority.
On February 7, 2019, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law on amending the Constitution provisions on the strategic course of the state to acquire full membership of Ukraine in the European Union and NATO. Law entered effective February 21.
In 2018, NATO recognized Ukraine postgraduate country status – candidate for membership in the Alliance, in 2020 Ukraine received the status of an advanced partner… On June 14, 2021, a NATO summit was held in Brussels, in the final communiqué of which it was noted that the Alliance supports Ukraine’s entry into NATO.
According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine will join NATO when three capitals of NATO member countries change their view. However, he did not name them.
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