U.S. Formally Rejects Russia's Top Security Demands

Washington on Wednesday delivered its responses to Russia's demands, a move the Biden administration hopes will lower the tensions with Moscow.

John Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, sent the response to the Kremlin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced to the reporters at the State Department, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Our responses were fully coordinated with Ukraine and our European allies and partners," he said.

While it remains unclear whether the document will deescalate the tense security situation along the Russia-Ukraine border, Blinken told reporters that it includes concerns "about Russia's actions that undermine security, a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that Russia has raised, and our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground."

The document reiterates Washington's public positions as it has already ruled out Moscow's major requests: that NATO pull back its presence in the Baltics and Eastern Europe, and that Ukraine and Georgia be permanently barred from joining the military alliance.

"We will uphold NATO's open door and that's ... a commitment that we're bound to." Blinken said: "NATO's door is open, it remains open,"

The document also suggests "reciprocal transparency measures" regarding force posture in Ukraine, as well as nuclear arms control in Europe. The Biden administration has already made such proposals.

"We make clear that there are core principles that we are committed to uphold and defend, including Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the right of states to choose their own security arrangements and alliances," Mr. Blinken said.

Moscow has also demanded that the U.S. remove nuclear weapons from Europe and withdraw troops and weapons from former Soviet bloc countries that joined the alliance after 1997. Washington has deemed those demands "non-starters.''

The U.S. response "sets out a serious diplomatic path forward should Russia choose it," Blinken said, adding that he expects to speak in the coming days with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, once Russian officials have read the American paper and are "ready to discuss next steps."

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.