Time.news – NATO’s ‘open doors’ policy does not change: in delivering the response to the proposals on security guarantees to Moscow, the US and NATO rejected one of Moscow’s main requests to the sender, that of curbing the activity of Allies on the eastern flank of Europe. But they left the door open to dialogue and diplomacy to avoid a war.
The US and NATO have delivered to Moscow the responses to requests to ease tensions over Ukraine, stop the expansion of the Atlantic Alliance and the placement of offensive weapons near the Russian borders. And we have reached such a level of tension, crisis and concern for peace and security in Europe that dialogue is now being sought at all costs.
The United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to use force against Ukraine “by mid-February”, despite the extensive campaign of pressure to discourage him from taking such a step. In reality, the timing could be weighed by the coincidence with the start of the Winter Olympics in China, on 4 February, in the presence of Putin himself. The Kremlin, according to Washington, could revise the timetable for a possible action in order not to offend President Xi Jinping with a ‘disturbing’ event.
Certainly, this is a defining week for diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing the attack or invasion of Ukraine, on whose border more than 100 thousand soldiers are now massed.
“We are facing a key moment for security in Europe,” acknowledged NATO secretary Jens Stoltenberg. The Alliance – he added – is ready to listen to Moscow’s concerns, but asks Russia for a de-escalation (starting with the withdrawal of the forces deployed in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova).
And Stoltenberg stressed that every country has the right to join: “The NATO line is defensive, we do not seek confrontation, but we do not compromise on our principles” and “on the right of each nation to apply for membership: it is a cardinal principle for European security “.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken added that it is now up to Russia to decide whether to continue on the path of confrontation or choose that of diplomacy. “We prefer diplomacy, we are ready for dialogue and to move forward where communication is possible”. Blinken assured that the US response establishes “a serious diplomatic channel if Russia so wishes” and said he is ready to speak again “in the next few days” with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, whom he met on Friday in Geneva.
“We hope that Moscow will evaluate carefully. It is up to Russia to answer, we are ready in any case”. But he reiterated that Washington is “ready” to impose sanctions on Moscow and Putin himself, sanctions that would have “serious consequences” if he opted for aggression against Ukraine.