NATO and US put final touches on response to Russian demands

The written response of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States to the security demands presented by Russia will be sent by the end of this week, diplomatic sources of the transatlantic military alliance pointed out on Wednesday.

This response is being “finalized”, the sources consulted indicated.

“Many of the Russian demands are unacceptable or unrealistic, but the response identifies a number of areas where it is possible to work on their concerns,” a European official said of the prepared response. “The question now is: is this what the Russians are waiting for?” he added.

Already in the middle of December Russia advanced two treaty proposals to drastically limit US and NATO influence in the vicinity of its borders.

The United States responded that it was ready to discuss, in consultation with the Europeans.

Russia demands a written commitment not to expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia, and demands the withdrawal of forces and weapons from the transatlantic military alliance of Eastern European countries that joined NATO after 1997.

Western countries, meanwhile, consider this set of demands unacceptable, but they have in fact frozen the accession process of Ukraine and Georgia, which requires the unanimity of the 30 members of the military alliance.

“It is essential that security guarantees for Russia be put in writing and have the force of law,” stressed Sergey Riabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, during the presentation of the two texts to the press.

The treaty proposals would prohibit U.S establish military bases in any country of the former Soviet Union that is not a member of NATO.

Nor could it use the infrastructure of those countries “for any military activity” and even “develop bilateral military cooperation.”

Similarly, NATO members would commit not to expand the alliance or carry out any military activity on the territory of Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Western countries demand that Russia withdraw the Russian units deployed in its own territory along the border with Ukraine, and “decrease” tensions with the Ukrainian government.