Russia’s Lavrov Tells Putin to ‘Intensify’ Security Talks With the West

 

Lavrov says the US put forward concrete proposals on reducing military risks

by Dave DeCamp 

Posted onFebruary 14, 2022CategoriesNewsTagsRussia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told President Vladimir Putin on Monday that Moscow should continue talks on security guarantees with the West, stressing that diplomacy has not been “exhausted.”

“I believe that our possibilities are far from exhausted,” Lavrov told Putin in a televised meeting. “I would propose continuing and intensifying them.”

Putin was concerned that the West could try to drag out the negotiations. “We have already warned more than once that we will not allow endless negotiations on questions that demand a solution today,” Lavrov said.

According to Reuters, Lavrov said the US had put forward concrete proposals on reducing military risks, while the responses from NATO and the EU were not satisfactory.

In its response to Russia’s security proposals, the US gave serious offers on the issue of arms control. The US has rejected Russia’s demand to rescind a promise that Ukraine will eventually join NATO, but President Biden has said it’s unlikely Ukraine will be joining the military alliance in the “near-term.”

Russia has yet to respond to Washington’s security offers. The RIA news agency reported Monday that Putin has approved the response “in principle,” signaling that it will be delivered to the US soon.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/02/14/russias-lavrov-tells-putin-to-intensify-security-talks-with-the-west/