After Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, State Department officials said the US and Russia have agreed to continue talks on Ukraine and other issues.
In a readout of the call, the State Department said Blinken spoke with Lavrov to follow up on the US’s written responses to Russia’s security proposals. Lavrov sent a letter to the US and its allies that contained follow-up questions, and he clarified to Blinken that the letter was not a formal response.
A State Department official said the formal Russian response will first go to Russian President Vladimir Putin to be approved and then will be sent to Washington. Blinken and Lavrov agreed that they would speak again once that happens.
Putin addressed the dialogue with the US on Tuesday and reiterated the Russian position that Washington is ignoring Moscow’s main security demands, which includes a guarantee that Ukraine won’t join NATO.
“Imagine that Ukraine becomes a NATO member and launches those military operations,” Putin said. “Should we fight NATO then? Has anyone thought about it?” He also accused the US of trying to “draw us into a military conflict and force its allies in Europe to impose the tough sanctions the US is talking about now.”
Despite his frustration, Putin still said Russia is interested in continuing talks to ease tensions in the region. “We need to find a way to ensure interests and security of all parties, including Ukraine, European nations, and Russia,” he said.
Both sides have said there is room to work on other issues, including arms control and the deployment of missiles in Europe. Russia has proposed a ban on the deployment of short and medium-range missiles previously prohibited by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019.
Lavrov in televised remarks after the meeting also said that Russia’s main concerns were received by the US in a “very negative manner.” The follow up talks will be more about why the US and NATO are ignoring the Istanbul and Istana agreements than anything else. Lavrov stated that Russia will not allow the main issues to be “talked down” in favor of the secondary issues of arms control and military movements near Russia’s border.
Lavrov and Putin on the US/NATO replies
https://thesaker.is/lavrov-and-putin-on-the-us-nato-replies/
Lavrov and Putin are speaking very clearly and there seems to be no room for doubt. The West is behaving rather nonchalantly with regard to comments and movements. This is what has me a tad nervous…
“Imagine that Ukraine becomes a NATO member and launches those military operations,” Putin said. “Should we fight NATO then? Has anyone thought about it?”
Apparently, no one in Washington Vlad. Everyone here.
It seems very clear to me that Russia’s Putin is being very forth coming, especially in the face of all that being foisted by the West. The West needs to rise above itself and and put something on the table that Russia can embrace and that will allow talks to progress…
Damn skippy WRU, damn skippy…
Talk forever and offer nothing important to the Russians. “Offer” only what the US wanted before, a nuclear deal that limits China to its previous minimal levels.
That is the dream of our hawks. They think they can get away with stalling forever — yet again.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/why-russia-has-three-nuclear-footballs-and-who-can-use-them/
Russia is reported to have three nuclear footballs.
Twenty minutes to finalize a launch seems rather protracted.
Now that is a scary thought…
https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2021-06/features/nuclear-launch-authority-too-big-decision-just-president
The protocols of launching nuclear weapons from Washington’s perspective. My impression is that it’s presently under review.
Thank you Thomas.
Thank you.
The official US responses to Russia’s treaty proposals have been published by a Spanish newspaper (which, interestingly, is owned by a US investment firm – basically means the US leaked their own documents.)
Get them here:
https://thesaker.is/both-us-and-nato-replies-leaked-to-spanish-paper-full-texts/
“a Spanish newspaper (which, interestingly, is owned by a US investment firm – basically means the US leaked their own documents.)”
Non sequitur.
Yes, there’s no proof. I got the info from a post on The Saker site which said:
The Spanish newspaper “El Pais” is owned by “Liberty Acquisition Holding”, a US investment fund. The newspaper regularly publishes editorials by George Soros, at one point one of the investors. The logical conclusion is that the Americans have leaked their own papers.
So make of that what you will.