Newspaper publishes ‘US, NATO responses’

The Spanish newspaper El Pais has published what is says are the answers of NATO and the United States to Russia’s proposals for new security agreements, which have so far been kept under wraps.

According to the documents posted on the internet, the US and the military alliance make it clear that a large part of the Russian proposals are not acceptable to them.

At the same time, NATO and the US show themselves open to concrete negotiations and new agreements.

According to its response to Russia, the US is prepared to rule out the permanent stationing of combat troops and ground-based missile systems in Ukraine if Russia also makes corresponding commitments.

In its written reply, the US offered transparency over its Romanian and Polish missile sites if officials in Moscow did the same at two sites in Russia.

NATO and the US have called for an end to the current Russian troop deployment on Ukraine’s borders as a prerequisite for successful negotiations.

This is central to substantial progress, according to the NATO response.

The authenticity of the documents was confirmed to the DPA news agency by NATO sources.

In view of the Russian deployment of more than 100,000 soldiers near Ukraine, there are fears that the Kremlin is planning an invasion of the former Soviet republic.

However, it is also considered possible that fears are only being stirred up in order to persuade NATO members to make concessions in response to demands for new security guarantees.

Russia wants to persuade NATO to rule out further enlargement to the east, and in particular the inclusion of Ukraine.

It is also demanding a withdrawal of NATO troops from eastern European NATO members.

with Reuters

Newspaper publishes ‘US, NATO responses’
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