WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th January, 2022) ASHINGTON, January 15 (Sputnik), Ekaterina Chukaeva - The results of this week's US-Russia security talks are hard to preview, but WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point news / Sputnik - 15th January, 2022) ashington appears ready to discuss missile deployment limitations, so now it is Moscow's turn to react, Thomas Pickering, a former US undersecretary of state for political affairs and an ex-ambassador in Russia, told Sputnik.
On Monday, Russia and the US held a strategic stability dialogue meeting in Geneva. The bilateral talks were followed by a NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, the first since 2019, and OSCE talks in Vienna the next day. The main topic was security proposals that Moscow put forward to Washington and NATO late last year amid mounting tensions around Ukraine. The suggestions include NATO's non-expansion eastward and a mutual ban on stationing intermediate and shorter-range missiles within striking distance of each other's territory.
The US and allies insist NATO's open door policy is not subject to discussion, but express readiness to talk about issues where progress is possible. Russia maintains its package of proposals is "not a menu," and the alliance's non-enlargement is central thereto.
"Too soon to know about individual items of progress but the US seems positive on some form of missile deployment limitations. Russia will need to consider those and respond. Normally linkage is employed by both sides to promote their objectives and the maxim that nothing is decided until everything is decided is always a starting position and often also hangs on until the end," Pickering said.
When asked about progress in resuming NATO-Russia contacts, the former diplomat replied that "one can only hope so."
"It is a good set of subjects for an interim arrangement while negotiations continue, but there is as of now no sign of that happening," he noted.
According to the former undersecretary, the main achievement of the talks is the talks themselves, scheduling or accepting more talks, as well as reviewing the presentations made by each side "with an interest in making progress to avoid a conflict."
Tensions around Ukraine intensified over the past several months after Russia was accused of building up troops near the Ukrainian border, allegedly preparing for an invasion. Moscow has denied the accusations, pointing to NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia says it has the right to move forces within its own territory.
