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NATO has no intention to develop de-escalation and trust measures with Russia — Lavrov

The top diplomat expressed his regret over the Alliance's "practical actions," including the Defender-Europe 20 military exercise launched by the US

© Jonathan Ernst/Pool Photo via AP

HELSINKI, March 3. /TASS/. Absence of NATO’s response to Russian proposals on security and trust buildup measures indicates the bloc’s unwillingness to cooperate with Russia on de-escalation of tensions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, following a meeting with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto.

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"We have spoken about our dialogue with the NATO member states on security issues and trust buildup and disclosed what proposals we introduced for NATO review more than one year ago, but never received a response," the minister commented. "We conclude from this that NATO does not plan to liaise with us to develop and implement concrete measures on de-escalation and trust buildup."

The top diplomat expressed his regret that NATO position is "supported by practical actions of the Alliance and, first and foremost, of the US, who begin the Defender-Europe 20 military exercise, the largest in many decades."

"We have discussed the Baltic Sea region situation in detail, including the Finnish President's initiative on trust measures," Lavrov informed. "We see no problems in this region that could require a military solution. Our proposals remain on the table, and we hope that common sense will prevail in NATO."

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