NATO has said that it is ready to work on enhancing confidence-building measures with Russia on the condition that the Kremlin works to reduce tensions on the border with Ukraine
In a statement issued on Thursday, the US-led bloc insisted that any dialogue “would have to proceed on the basis of reciprocity, address [its] concerns about Russia’s actions, be based on the core principles and foundational documents of European security, and take place in consultation with” the NATO’s European partners.
It added that should Moscow “take concrete steps to reduce tensions, we are prepared to work on strengthening confidence-building measures.”
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“We reiterate our long-standing invitation to Russia for a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in the near future,” the statement read.
The notice comes amid worsening tensions between Moscow and the 30-member organisation. Speaking via secure video-link last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart Joe Biden that his country is “seriously interested” in getting “reliable and firm legal guarantees” that would rule out NATO’s expansion further into Eastern Europe, as well as the deployment of “offensive strike weapons systems” nearby.
Putin’s proposal came in response to Biden’s “concerns” about Russian troops allegedly threatening Ukraine, which has long held aspirations to become a member of the bloc. The Russian leader, however, insisted that it was NATO “making dangerous attempts to conquer” the state’s territory and “building up its military potential at our borders.”
Ukraine’s intelligence service and a number of Western leaders have issued warnings in recent weeks that Moscow could be preparing an all-out invasion of its neighbor. The Kremlin has consistently rejected the allegations, instead voicing concerns about the prospect of the former Soviet republic potentially joining NATO.