BRUSSELS, January 4. / TASS /. NATO top diplomats will hold an extraordinary virtual meeting on January 7 to address Russia’s requirements relating to European security issues, the alliance stated on its Twitter page on Tuesday.
"An extraordinary virtual meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers will be held on Friday, [January 7]. They will discuss Russia’s military build-up in (NATO refers to Crimea) and around Ukraine and broader European security issues," the statement reads. This meeting will take place ahead of the NATO-Russia Council meeting scheduled on January 12, where Moscow plans to discuss its requirements in terms of European security issues.
NATO-Russia Council meeting
The alliance told TASS on Tuesday that the NATO-Russia Council meeting would take place on January 12 and called on Moscow to consider "NATO’s concerns about Russia’s actions." The last time the Council was convened was the summer of 2019, while no practical results have been achieved. On January 12-13, Brussels will also host a meeting of the NATO Military Committee at the level of chiefs of defense.
"The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has convened a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on 12 January 2022 in his capacity as the Chair of the NATO-Russia Council," the statement reads. According to the NATO official, "any dialogue with Russia would have to proceed on the basis of reciprocity, address NATO’s concerns about Russia’s actions, be based on the core principles and foundational documents of European security, and take place in consultation with NATO’s European Partners."
NATO has not revealed the agenda of the meeting so far. Earlier, Russia confirmed its intention to discuss with NATO the proposals on security guarantees, in particular, the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from Europe, prevention of the deployment of NATO forces near Russian borders as well as abandoning the policy of engaging Ukraine and Georgia in the alliance.
In December, Stoltenberg has repeatedly stated that he proposed to convene the NATO-Russia Council in early 2022 to address the situation in and around Ukraine and the claims about the alleged buildup of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s stance
On December 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden held talks over the phone. Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov stated that the Russian side was satisfied with the contact, praising the conversation as constructive. According to Ushakov, the heads of state focused on the upcoming negotiations on security guarantees, having agreed to maintain further contacts relating to this issue.
Moscow expects to ensure legal security guarantees, which will prevent NATO from eastward advancement and deploying weapons near Russian borders. As the Kremlin aide noted, the US president agreed with this position. The Russian leader warned that possible new sanctions against Moscow could result in the severance of the ties with the US and seriously damage its relations with the West in general.
On January 10, the Russian-US consultations on security guarantees are likely to kick off in Geneva.