Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20220111

A29
world news Diamars 11 Januari 2022

Russia, U.S. still far apart after talks over Ukraine tensions

(AP) — Russia and the United States. And, we will
U.S. remained far apart not make decisions about
Monday after talks aimed Ukraine without Ukraine,
at defusing tensions over about Europe without Eu-
Ukraine, with Moscow rope or about NATO with-
insisting on guarantees to out NATO.”
halt NATO’s eastward ex-
pansion and even roll back Russian President Vladimir
the military alliance’s Putin has described NATO
deployments in Eastern expansion to Ukraine and
Europe, and Washington other former Soviet states
firmly rejecting the de- as a “red line” for Moscow,
mands as a nonstarter. demanding binding guaran-
tees from the West that they
With both sides dug in on wouldn’t become members
their positions and Ukraine’s of the alliance.
future hanging in the bal-
ance, Deputy Foreign Min- Moscow has sought to wrest
ister Sergei Ryabkov said a string of concessions from
“no progress” was made on the U.S. and its Western al-
the central demand to halt lies, and has massed an esti-
NATO expansion, although mated 100,000 troops near
he insisted: “We have no in- Ukraine in steps that have
tention to invade Ukraine.” raised concerns about a pos-
sible military intervention
Ryabkov spoke after 5 1/2 there. it would be hard to work also loom large. will solve all the issues,” he
hours of talks with a U.S. on other issues if the U.S. told reporters in Brussels on
team led by his U.S. coun- “The situation now is so dan- stonewalled on Russia’s key The U.S. has played down Monday after talks with Olga
terpart, Wendy Sherman gerous, and so -- I would say demands. hopes of significant progress Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s dep-
— part of a flurry of diplo- -- precarious that we cannot this week and said some de- uty prime minister for Euro-
matic activity in Europe this afford any further delays in “If now NATO proceeds to- mands — like a possible halt pean and Euro-Atlantic Inte-
week aimed at defusing ten- resolution of this very fun- wards deployment of capabil- to NATO expansion — go gration. “What we are hoping
sions over a Russian military damental question,” Ryab- ities that are being developed against countries’ sovereign for is that we can agree on
buildup on the border with kov said at a separate news very rapidly in the U.S., and rights to set up their own se- a way forward, that we can
Ukraine. conference at the Russian will possibly be introduced curity arrangements, and are agree on a series of meetings,
mission. “As President Putin somewhere in Europe, it thus non-negotiable. that we can agree on a pro-
Sherman called the talks a said, on many occasions, ‘we would require a military re- cess.”
“frank and forthright discus- cannot backpedal. We can- sponse on the Russian part, But U.S. officials have ex-
sion.” not go backwards. There is that is a decision to counter pressed openness to other During a visit to Rome, Ger-
no further space for us to do this threat through means ideas, like curtailing possible man Foreign Minister Annal-
“It was not what you would so.’” at our discretion,” Ryabkov, future deployments of offen- ena Baerbock said dialogue
call a negotiation, she said speaking in English. “That sive missiles in Ukraine and offered the only way out of
in a conference call with re- Ryabkov rattled off Russian will inevitably, unavoidably putting limits on American the crisis.
porters. “We’re not to a point concerns and demands first damage security of the U.S. and NATO military exercises
where we’re ready to set issued last month on subjects and its European allies.” in Eastern Europe — if Rus- “At the same time, it’s equally
down texts and begin to go like NATO expansion and sia is willing to back off on clear that a renewed breach
back and forth.” wanting Western commit- He did not elaborate. Ukraine. of Ukrainian sovereignty
ments not to deploy offen- by Russia would have grave
“We were firm, however, sive weapons near Russian Echoing similar comments Blinken said bluntly Sunday consequences,” she told re-
on pushing back on secu- borders. from Secretary of State Ant- that he doesn’t expect any porters.
rity proposals that are simply ony Blinken, Sherman said breakthroughs. Instead, he
nonstarters for the United “The American side has progress could only happen if said a more likely positive Russia has said it wants the
States,” Sherman said, adding treated the Russian proposals Russia “stays at the table and outcome would be an agree- issue resolved this month,
“we will not allow anyone” seriously and deeply studied takes concrete steps to de- ment to de-escalate tensions but NATO is wary that Putin
to shut NATO’s “open-door them,” he said, adding that escalate tensions.” in the short term and return might be looking for a pre-
policy” that extends to coun- he characterized Moscow’s to talks at an appropriate time text, such as a failure in the
tries seeking entry in the al- demand for legally bind- “We’ve made it clear that in the future. But the U.S. negotiations, to launch an in-
liance. ing guarantees that NATO if Russia further invades will have to see a de-esca- vasion.
would not move eastward Ukraine there will be signifi- lation for there to be actual
She said Washington “will was “an absolute imperative cant costs and consequences progress. The United States, which has
not forgo bilateral coop- for us.” well beyond what they faced emphasized that Ukraine’s
eration with sovereign states in 2014,” she said. “Russia “It’s very hard to see that hap- government and those of
that wish to work with the Ryabkov emphasized that has a stark choice to make.” pening when there’s an on- other European countries
going escalation, when Rus- need to be included in the
The meeting was part of sia has a gun to the head of discussions, plans to discuss
“Strategic Security Dialogue” Ukraine with 100,000 troops some bilateral issues in Ge-
talks on arms control and near its borders, the possibil- neva “but will not discuss
other broad issues launched ity of doubling that on very European security with-
by Putin and U.S. President short order,” Blinken said on out our European allies and
Joe Biden at a June summit ABC’s “This Week.” partners,” State Department
in the Swiss city. Talks be- spokesman Ned Price said
tween Russia and NATO are NATO Secretary-General Sunday. ___
planned Wednesday in Brus- Jens Stoltenberg also sought
sels followed by a meeting in to play down expectations Vladimir Isachenkov in Mos-
Vienna of the Organization earlier Monday. cow, Lorne Cook in Brussels,
for Security and Coopera- Frank Jordans in Berlin, and
tion in Europe on Thursday, “I don’t think that we can Matthew Lee in Washington
where the showdown will expect that these meetings contributed.