Russia is ready to talk to the West
Created: 2022-02-15Updated: 2022-02-15, 2:28 p.m
Sergei Lavrov (R), Foreign Minister of Russia, talks with Zbigniew Rau, Foreign Minister of Poland and OSCE Chair-in-Office, during a meeting.
© Shamil Zhumatov/Pool Reuters/AP/dpa
Recently, the Ukraine conflict came to a head.
The fear of a war in the middle of Europe is great.
Moscow emphasizes its willingness to engage in dialogue.
Warning words come from Poland.
Moscow - Amid heavy tensions in the Ukraine conflict, Russia is ready for new talks with the West.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in Moscow on Tuesday that the dialogue with the United States and NATO on the security guarantees demanded by Russia would continue.
It is about the non-stationing of medium-range missiles and the "reduction of military risks".
Thanks to the efforts, a "really not bad package can be worked out," said Lavrov.
Meanwhile, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) offered Moscow a new dialogue.
To this end, Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau flew to the Russian capital.
Poland currently holds the OSCE Chairmanship.
The situation in Ukraine remains extremely tense and threatens to escalate seriously, said Rau.
"It is in this spirit that we have proposed an initiative for a new dialogue on European security."
Russia ready for close cooperation
Lavrov called the proposal "interesting".
"We are ready to work very closely with the OSCE Chairmanship." At the end of January, Lavrov asked his OSCE colleagues to write a response to the question of how the security of one country could not be guaranteed at the expense of another.
For Russia, however, the dialogue with the USA and NATO is currently the most important thing.
"Without progress with the USA and NATO, talks in Vienna will not bring any progress."
Moscow is demanding binding assurances that NATO's eastward expansion will end and, in particular, that Ukraine will not be admitted to the western military alliance.
Both NATO and the USA, however, reject this and refer to the free choice of alliances by states - but have shown themselves to be open to dialogue.
The Western military alliance and the United States had already responded in writing to Moscow's demands.
Russia will publish its reply to these letters, Lavrov said.
Informal platform proposed
At the meeting with Lavrov, Rau suggested creating "an informal platform for open political discussion and cooperation."
This platform could make it possible to discuss proposals on how to increase the effectiveness of mechanisms to prevent crises like the current one.
Russia is currently holding several maneuvers.
The United States fears that troop movements and a deployment of tens of thousands of soldiers along Ukraine's borders could serve to prepare for war.
Russia rejects this and stresses every day that it is not planning an attack on Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday that the first troops are returning to their positions after maneuvers.
A number was not initially mentioned.
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The OSCE has stationed hundreds of international observers in the Ukraine conflict in the east of the country since 2014.
Despite calls from individual states to leave the country, the work will continue, said Rau.
"The observer mission continues to fulfill its duties." dpa
