MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Russia formulated its security guarantee questions clearly enough and the European Union can provide answers to them on its own or together with the United States, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Tuesday.
"The European Union has been talking ever more often about the need for developing its own defense and security policy dimension. Speculations on this score have been underway long enough and certain steps have been taken to this end. Possibly, the Europeans should sort things out between themselves and the Americans. Our stance is extremely clear and easy to understand. How the answers will be formulated and what kind of consultations are to be held is rather the Europeans’ cup of tea, not ours," Peskov said in the wake of a statement by Europe’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, to the effect the European Union must have a say at Russian-US security guarantees negotiations because this issue concerns Europe.
Peskov said that in the first place Russia dispatched both drafts of security guarantee agreements to Washington, and a little while later, to the European capitals.
"You know that we have had three tracks of negotiations - bilateral [with the United States], with NATO, and with the OSCE," he recalled.
The presidential spokesman said that it was of no fundamental importance to Moscow whether the European Union would be taking part in security guarantee talks as an independent party. It was very important for Russia to get a reply to its proposals.
"One way or another, the EU countries are involved in this process - as OSCE or NATO members. To what extent the European Union wishes to be a separate participant in these negotiations, is a question that can be considered. But it is not a fundamental one. It is most important for us to get answers," Peskov pointed out. "It does not matter who will be directly involved, provided the list of countries remains unchanged and the role of the United States in Europe is the same.
On December 17, 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry published drafts of a treaty with the United States on security guarantees and also an agreement on measures of ensuring the security of Russia and the NATO member-states. Consultations on these issues were held in Geneva on January 10. On January 12, the Russia-NATO Council met in session in Brussels, and on January 13 there was a session of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. The initiatives in question were examined.