MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. The Kremlin hopes that partners will turn an attentive ear to Moscow’s arguments concerning the INF Treaty at Friday’s meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Friday.
"The Russian side keeps explaining its consistent position to partners. All parameters of our stance are well-known and absolutely transparent," he said. "We do hope that we will be listened to and heard."
Peskov recalled the consultations Russia and US held on this problem several days ago.
"Regrettably, we cannot say that that round was successful," he said. "Our diplomats tried to explain our INF Treaty-related arguments to the US partners, but they showed little readiness for a bilateral dialogue."
A meeting of the Russia-NATO Council on the INF Treaty began in Brussels on Friday. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov is taking part. Originally, the meeting was to be held at the ambassador level, but late Thursday evening it was announced that Ryabkov would represent Russia. He flew to Brussels especially for this purpose.
Russia-US dialog
The discussion of problems of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by way of exchanging ultimatums does not suit Russia while the United States does not demonstrate the mood for a constructive dialogue, Peskov said.
"There is still no willingness to discuss the problems of the INF [on the part of the US]," the spokesman stated.
"Some other modalities, such as the exchange of ultimatums, unfounded accusations and the unwillingness to hear the partner does not suit us," Peskov said.