MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has briefed Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel on Russia’s security guarantee initiative, which would rule out NATO’s eastward expansion, the Kremlin’s press service said after a telephone conversation requested by Luxembourg.

"At the interlocutor’s request Putin explained Russia’s initiative regarding long-term legally formalized security guarantees that would rule out NATO’s further expansion to the east and the deployment in the neighboring countries, in the first place, Ukraine, of any weapons threatening Russia," the Kremlin said.

Bettel called for more intensive contacts between EU structures and Russian officials.

The Kremlin said Putin and Bettel exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the forthcoming New Year and Christmas holidays.

On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry published drafts of an agreement with the United States on security guarantees and of an agreement on the security of Russia and NATO member-countries. The drafts had been handed to the US side at a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry on December 15.