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Russia-US strategic stability group can consider NATO non-expansion — MFA

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, the format of this group provides opportunities to the parties "to work out relevant scenarios"

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. Provision of security guarantees for NATO's non-expansion to the east can be on the agenda of the Russian-US group on strategic stability, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at an online briefing on Friday.

When asked if the corresponding statement of the presidential aide Yuri Ushakov was approved at the end of the online summit of the Russian Federation and the United States, Ryabkov said: "We proceed from this."

"There is an area of work in the group on strategic stability that is officially called "actions that have a strategic effect." You understand that attempts at military and military-technical development of territories near our borders, our response to it, as well as our constructive proposals to provide security guarantees for Russia through the non-advancement of NATO to the East, through the non-development of these territories by NATO in a hostile manner - this is what is happening today - these proposals and actions in aggregate have a strategic effect."

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, the format of this group provides opportunities to the parties "to work out relevant scenarios."

"We are calling on our American colleagues in advance to take such a perspective into account. The situation has changed, we will no longer put up with what is going on. They should proceed from this," Ryabkov concluded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US President Joe Biden held a video conference call on Tuesday that lasted a little over two hours. Apart from Ukraine, which was the focus of the talks, the presidents also discussed bilateral relations, cybersecurity and the Iran nuclear deal. Putin and Biden agreed at their meeting in Geneva in June that Russia and the US would resume consultations on strategic stability.

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