Russia on Thursday claimed it will be» compelled to respond»with military-technical steps if the United States does not consent to its security demands.
In an 11-page paper provided to American authorities, the Kremlin pounded the U.S. for not engaging with Russia’s protection worries and asked for «lawful assurances» that Ukraine will never ever become a NATO member.
«In the absence of any type of readiness from the American side to settle on company, legally binding assurances to ensure our security … Russia will be required to react, including with the execution of military-technical procedures,» the file says, according to message published by the state-run TASS news firm.
Western federal governments have actually enhanced supplies of hi-tech military tools to Ukraine given that the standoff with Russia initially escalated in 2014. Intelligence companies have actually said Moscow has collected approximately 130,000 soldiers which an intrusion of Ukraine might be «imminent.»
Moscow has refuted it is intending an invasion of Ukraine, a declaration it repeated in Thursday’s written feedbacks.
«There is no ‘Russian intrusion’ of Ukraine, which the United States as well as its allies have actually been announcing formally given that last autumn, as well as it is not intended,» the document stated.
Russia also contacted the U.S. as well as NATO to «quit the supply of weapons to Ukraine, take out all Western consultants and teachers from the country, stop participating in joint workouts with Ukraine’s armed forces and also withdraw all international tools previously provided to Kyiv.»
Moscow’s recent news of an army drawdown have been met skepticism. The U.S. and various other NATO allies remain to advise of a possibly destructive Russian intrusion and state they have actually seen little proof of Moscow’s announced withdrawal.
Russia initially sent its listing of demands to the U.S. and also NATO last December. Western governments responded in January, yet Moscow has claimed the answers «disregarded» its bottom lines.
Russia said its proposals were a «complete package» which can not be reviewed individually. The U.S. had provided concessions on areas such as limits on rocket implementations— an offer Russia rejected on Thursday.
«The Russian proposals are of a plan nature and also should be considered in the entire, without concentrating on specific elements. When it comes to the issue of arms control, we are considering them only in the general context of a comprehensive package approach to dealing with the general issue of security assurances,» the paper stated.
Russia also repeated its demands that the U.S. draw its troops out of all NATO nations that joined the alliance after 1997, such as the Baltic states and also a number of various other eastern as well as central European members.
Russia’s reaction came as it eliminated the No. 2 U.S. diplomat in Moscow in one more indicator of potentially rising tensions between the two countries.
