Ukraine crisis: Blinken says US awaiting Russia's written response on security proposals

The United States is looking forward to receiving a written response from Russia against the security demands forwarded to Washington and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) last year in December amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Kyiv along the eastern European borders, US State Secretary Antony Blinken told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, during a phone call on Tuesday. Reiterating"unwavering support" for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Blinken also raised concerns over Russia's capacity to invade the ex-Soviet nation and emphasised the need to see verifiable, credible, meaningful de-escalation, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, citing a readout of the phone call.

"The United States looks forward to receiving Russia’s written response to the U.S. and NATO papers shared with Moscow last month proposing concrete areas for discussion regarding European security in coordination with our Allies and partners,"  Ned Price said in a statement.

Speaking to FM Lavrov, Blinken also affirmed US' commitment to continue pursuing a "diplomatic solution to the crisis Moscow has precipitated," Price informed. Furthermore, the State Secretary also underscored that "further Russian aggression against Ukraine would result in a swift, severe, and united Transatlantic response," and added that Washinton believed that "a window remains to resolve the crisis peacefully."

It is to mention that the phone call comes a day after the Associated Press reported that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov suggested to Kremlin head Vladimir Putin that Moscow must "continue dialogue" with the West on Russian security demands and Kyiv. Notably, the draft list of 8-points security guarantees was proposed by the Kremlin in December last year during a virtual conference between US President Joe Biden and Putin. 

The legal deal sought two main areas of guarantees, including the exclusion of permanent membership of Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations from joining NATO and halting the deployment of troops and weapons of the Trans-Atlantic military bloc beyond 1997 borders. However, in January, US and NATO handed over their respective written responses to Russia, conveying no intention to change their policies in adherence to the demands. Ever since then, the US and Russia have engaged in several rounds of talks, including a recent meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Putin, without any fruitful resolution to the impasse.

Aggressive rhetoric whipped up by Washington and allies: Russia

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry in its statement informed that Lavrov during the phone call emphasised that "the inadmissibility of the aggressive rhetoric whipped up by Washington and its closest allies." He also noted that Moscow wished to "continue joint work" stressed by Putin and Biden during their phone conversation on February 12 in the context of written responses against security guarantees. During Tuesday's phone call with Blinken, Lavrov also highlight the need for the US and its close partners to "engage in a pragmatic dialogue on the entire range of issues raised by Russia with an emphasis on the principle of indivisibility of security," Sputnik reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

The second round of talks between US Secretary of State Blinken and his Russian counterpart, in less than a week, comes as Moscow continues to amass troops and weaponry along the Ukraine-Russia border. As per Associated Press reports, nearly 1,35,000 Russian troops are deployed in the Donbas region. However, Kremlin has continued to deny accusations of invasion, repeatedly saying that the movement of soldiers is within its territory and does not threaten anyone.

(Image: AP)