Moscow Expects Clear US Response On Russia's Security Guarantees

Russia believes that the United States understands the seriousness of the situation in the security sphere and the necessity of taking steps on the basis suggested by Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Monday.

"We believe that our American colleagues are fully aware that the situation is quite difficult and tense and that a responsible approach is needed," he said. "It is necessary to act on the platform, on the basis we have suggested in line with President [Vladimir] Putin’s instructions."

"We expressed the hope that as part of the implementation of the Russian president’s instructions we will be able to evoke a clear response from the West, first of all from the United States, and begin the process of elaborating legally binding guarantees of Russia’s security in the format of two agreements, which are interlinked and cannot be, so to say, torn apart into fragments, elements," he said.

On December 17, the Russian foreign ministry released two Russian draft agreements in security guarantees from the United States and NATO.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on NATO to begin substantive talks on reliable long-term security guarantees to Russia. He stressed that Russia needs legally binding guarantees because the West has failed to fulfill its verbal commitments.

According to Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov Ushakov told US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that Moscow was ready to begin talks on draft documents on security guarantees. Russia will be represented at these talks by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.