Status: 07.12.2021 1:21 p.m.
Russia has soldiers deployed near Ukraine, but does not see itself as an aggressor: The Kremlin insists on security guarantees that should prevent further ex-Soviet republics from joining NATO.
In the Kremlin, it is believed that President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden will talk to each other for a long time. You decide what about – there is no official agenda. The only thing that is clear is that Ukraine will be an issue. And thus almost automatically: including the many neuralgic points in Russian-American relations, which “continue to be in a rather deplorable state,” as Kremlin spokesman Dmitrij Peskov put on record in advance.
Since the summit in Geneva in June, there has been an exchange of views on issues such as security and arms control at what is known as the working level. However, there does not seem to be any significant progress on these issues. There is no other way to understand the many “red lines” with a view to the strategic balance that the Kremlin is now making a direct topic of discussion based on the Ukraine.
NATO is getting “irresponsibly close”
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently warned that the nightmare of a military confrontation could return to the European continent: “The strategic security architecture is collapsing rapidly,” he said, blaming NATO: “NATO refuses ours To constructively examine proposals to de-escalate tensions and to prevent dangerous incidents. Instead, the military infrastructure of the alliance is irresponsibly moving close to the borders of Russia. “
In Romania and Poland there are already missile defense systems that could be used for attacks. Now, under the pretext of an alleged Russian offensive, Ukraine is also being pumped full of weapons, said the Russian Foreign Ministry, referring to the recent arms deals between Kiev and NATO countries.
Putin: No interest in escalation
In view of the disarmament agreements that have been terminated and expired, Russia, assured President Vladimir Putin, has no choice but to arm: “It is not us who are threatening anyone. To blame us for the current situation is irresponsible, to say the least.”
His country has no interest in an escalation. But – and that seems to be the decisive point in the current discussion – security guarantees.
Putin speaks of “working out agreements to rule out any further NATO advance to the east and the stationing of weapons systems in the immediate vicinity”.
Which means nothing else than that Ukraine, but also countries like Georgia, should be blocked from joining NATO once and for all. They thus remained in Russia’s sphere of influence – which would be only logical for Putin, but from the perspective of NATO and the US administration is anything but acceptable. Not to mention Ukraine, which has written the goal of joining NATO in its constitution.