ArmInfo.At the three stages of the ongoing negotiations on security guarantees, we will see the beginning of the negotiation process between the Russian Federation and the United States, which will continue in the next stages. Fedor Lukyanov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy of Russia, expressed a similar opinion.
Commenting on the uncompromising rhetoric of Moscow and Washington on the eve of the start of negotiations, in particular, the statement of First Deputy Secretary of State of the United States Wendy Sherman on Washington's refusal to discuss security issues in Europe with Moscow in a bilateral format, the analyst emphasized the difference between public rhetoric and the real intentions of the negotiators. In his opinion, judging by the public rhetoric of Washington and Moscow that preceded the talks, there can be no talk of any agreements on their results. However, in reality the situation, according to Lukyanov, is somewhat different.
On January 10, a preliminary meeting of the diplomats and the military of the United States and the Russian Federation took place at the US Permanent Mission in Geneva, in a format closed to the press, which lasted 7.5 hours. The talks on security guarantees will be held in three stages: on January 10, a meeting was held in Geneva, on January 12, a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council will take place in Brussels, and on January 13, consultations are scheduled at the OSCE Vienna site. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov described the conversation as complicated but substantive. Noting Moscow's readiness to listen to the US position, the diplomat noted that a constructive dialogue is possible only in the context of revising the decisions of the Budapest summit on the future of Ukraine and Georgia in NATO.
At the same time, Lukyanov does not at all believe that Washington's negotiating agenda will be based, for example, on statements by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, which links European security with the security of Ukraine. First of all, due to the extremely passive, according to his estimates, and therefore the secondary position of Brussels in this process.
In Lukyanov's opinion, in general, Washington will take into account the opinion of NATO allies from Eastern Europe in negotiations with Moscow on security guarantees in Europe only to a certain extent. Although the countries of Eastern Europe and the Baltic states, regarding what is happening as a very serious challenge to their own security, will do their best to complicate the agreements between the Russian Federation and the United States. "However, here it should be noted that these possibilities are quite limited. After all, the United States is a country that makes decisions in its own interests. And given, to some extent, the opinion of its allies, in any case, when making a decision, it will be primarily guided by its own needs. Accordingly, if we manage to seriously talk and come to an agreement with Washington, all other issues will be resolved as they arise and in order of importance, "the analyst concluded.
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft agreements between Russia and the United States and NATO on security guarantees. It follows from the documents that the alliance should refrain from conducting any military activity on the territory of Ukraine and other states of Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. It is also assumed that Russia and NATO will commit themselves not to create conditions that could be regarded by the other side as a threat