Russia today ruled out any concession in talks with the US in Geneva on Ukraine and security in Europe, while expressing disappointment at the indications it is getting from Washington ahead of these talks and that the US is insisting on unilateral Russian concessions. We will not make any concessions. This is completely out of the question, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who will take part in the negotiations, told Russian news agencies.
We are disappointed by the indications we have received in recent days from Washington, but also from Brussels, he added. Russian and US representatives will meet tonight in Geneva ahead of a crucial meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, on Ukraine and security in Europe amid heightened tensions.
The Geneva talks will be followed by a NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels on Wednesday and a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna the following day. Russia is accused by Westerners of massing tens of thousands of troops on its border with neighbouring Ukraine for a possible invasion, which Moscow denies.
The talks scheduled to take place in Geneva were organised after Russia demanded guarantees for its security. The most basic of its demands are a commitment by NATO not to integrate Ukraine into its ranks and the withdrawal of US troops from NATO's eastern wing countries. These demands have been called unacceptable by Western officials.
US President Joe Biden recently threatened his Russian counterpart with sanctions like he has never seen if Moscow attacks Ukraine. We are very likely to face the reluctance of our American and NATO colleagues to really understand what we need, Ryabkov noted today.
Despite the threats that are constantly made against us () we will not make any concessions, he stressed, adding that this would amount to actions that are against our own interests, against the interests of our security.
Moscow is not going into the talks with optimism, Interfax finally reported, citing the statements of Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister. A conflict has been raging in eastern Ukraine since 2014 between Kiev forces and pro-Russian separatists, which erupted after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula.
Source: KYPE
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
