Russian Ambassador to the UK: Russia will not make any concessions on the issue of non-expansion of NATO

Russia will not make any concessions in negotiations with the US and NATO on security guarantees. This was announced on the air of the Russia 24 TV channel by the Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin.

“In return, we are offered a conversation on a number of aspects of European security. They are all, no doubt, important – arms control, a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range and short-range missiles in Europe, transparency and confidence-building measures. We know this whole set. But if we go to discuss this whole set, it will dissolve our key and fundamental demand for the non-expansion of NATO, according to which we must receive clear legal guarantees,” Kelin added.

“It was clearly and clearly stated that we will not make any concessions, this is our principled position,” the ambassador said.

Earlier, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that a number of Russian proposals on security guarantees are unacceptable for her country. She stressed that the US would not agree to a ban on NATO expansion.

In turn, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov described the negotiations as “unsuccessful.”

Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that if Finland and Sweden apply, they could become NATO members very quickly.

Earlier, Stoltenberg said that only the government of this country and the leadership of NATO can decide the issue of Ukraine’s entry into the alliance, while Russia’s opinion does not matter.

Meanwhile, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov called the possible entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO a threat. He explained that any expansion of the alliance worries Moscow, as it is “an element of confrontation.”