Russia reacts coolly to US, NATO responses, talks appear set to continue
By Alexander Bueso
Date: Thursday 27 Jan 2022
(Sharecast News) - Russia gave a cool response to Washington's answer overnight to its demands for security guarantees, but according to reports kept the door open to dialogue.
Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said: "Based on what our colleagues said yesterday, it's absolutely clear that on the main categories outlined in those draft documents [...] we cannot say that our thoughts have been taken into account or that a willingness has been shown to take our concerns into account."
"But we won't rush with our assessments."
Public statements by the US did not leave "many grounds for optimism," he added.
Nonetheless, according to Bloomberg, Peskov reportedly also said there was still room to continue dialogue, that working-level contacts with the US would continue and that talks between Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his opposite number in the US were expected soon.
For his part, in remarks posted to the website of Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry, minister Sergei Lavrov said: "The most important question is our clear position on the unacceptability of NATO's further eastward expansion and the deployment of strike weapons that could threaten Russian territory."
US proposals "allows us to expect the start of a serious conversation but on secondary issues," Interfax quoted Lavrov as saying.
Russian President Vladimir "will make the decision on our next moves" once a government review of proposals is completed, Lavrov added.
Bloomberg also quoted Alexey Gromyko, the head of the state-run Institute of Europe in Moscow, as saying that: "The situation is moving in a positive direction [...] As the work continues in diplomatic channels, the hysteria over an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine will fade."
Gromyko reportedly believed that Lavrov and Blinken might meet during the following week in Geneva.
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