The administration of US President Joe Biden is ready to invite the Russian side in the negotiations on security guarantees to discuss the reduction of the deployment of troops of both countries and military exercises in Eastern Europe on a reciprocal basis. This was reported by NBC News, citing an administration official and two former US national security officials familiar with the discussions.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, the parties can discuss the scale of military exercises that Russia and the United States will conduct in Europe, the number of US troops in the Baltic countries and Poland. It is also planned to offer Moscow to notify in advance about the movement of troops and Russian Iskander missiles, capable of carrying a nuclear charge, on the territory of the Kaliningrad region.
A spokesman for the Biden administration noted that the US authorities are compiling a list of options for changing the position of forces in Europe, which will be discussed in negotiations with Russia. If Moscow is ready to discuss reducing its presence in the region, Washington will be ready to discuss concrete steps. To achieve a change in the US military presence in Europe, Russia will need to take equivalent steps to reduce its forces. Sources noted that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine (meaning Crimea – Vedomosti) will not be enough.
The talks between Russia and the United States on security guarantees will take place on January 10, the Russia-NATO Council meeting will take place on January 12, and the Russia-OSCE talks on January 13.
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a draft treaty with the United States and an agreement with the NATO military alliance on guarantees and security. In particular, the documents imply a refusal to deploy medium and shorter-range ground-based missiles outside the territory of the alliance and a refusal to expand the military bloc to the east, closer to the Russian borders.
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