MOSCOW/GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2022) The United States is uncomfortable discussing security guarantees with Russia in bilateral formats since Washington feels the "eyes and ears" of russophobic NATO members, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik.
"They find it uncomfortable to hold bilateral dialogue with us, because they feel behind them the eyes and ears of the most anti-Russian group within NATO," Ryabkov said ahead of the upcoming strategic stability dialogue.
On Sunday evening, Ryabkov met with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Geneva. The deputy foreign minister said that the conversation was difficult, but businesslike.
US State Department Spokesperson Ned price said in a statement after the talks that "the United States would welcome genuine progress through diplomacy" during the strategic stability talks, but the US "will not discuss European security without our European Allies and partners."
In December, Russia released its draft proposals on security guarantees. Negotiations on security guarantees between Moscow and Washington are scheduled for January 10, followed by a Russia-NATO Council meeting to discuss the issue on January 12, and the summit of Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) the following day.
