British media: Russia urges NATO to clarify security commitments
Reference News Network reported on January 31 Russia will ask NATO to clarify whether it intends to honor key security commitments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, Archyde.com Moscow reported on January 30. Moscow has previously said NATO’s response to Russia’s demands was insufficient.
“Today, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we sent an official request to NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, urging them to explain how they intend to implement (their) not to strengthen at the expense of other countries’ security,” Lavrov said on state television. Commitment to your own safety.”
“If they’re not going to do that, then they should explain why. That’s going to be a key issue in determining our future proposals,” he said.
Lavrov said Russia would seek not just commitments from the West, but legally binding security guarantees “that would ensure the security of the entire European continent, while taking full and equal consideration of Russia’s legitimate rights and interests.”
Russia has demanded that NATO withdraw troops and weapons from Eastern Europe and has banned Ukraine from joining NATO, the report said. Washington and its NATO allies rejected the position but said they were ready to discuss other issues such as arms control and confidence-building measures.
According to a report by AFP Moscow on January 30, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on the 30th that Moscow hopes to establish “mutual respect” relations with Washington. The two countries are still tit-for-tat over Ukraine.
“We want to have a good, equal and respectful relationship with the United States,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russian television.
“Learning from the painful experience, we don’t want to continue to be in a situation where our security is violated every day,” Lavrov added.
Lavrov said NATO’s lines of defense “continue to move east” and have come “very close” to Ukraine.
Lavrov also said that Ukraine “is not ready” to join NATO and “will not make any contribution to strengthening NATO security.”