Lavrov Expects NATO and US to Give Written Response

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated it would judge the “sincerity” of the West by a written response to Russian proposals on security guarantees. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the written response of the United States and NATO to Russian proposals on security guarantees will show how sincere Western partners are towards Moscow. He said this at a press conference on Friday, January 14, TASS reports. “As the President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] said, as we have repeatedly confirmed, we have submitted documents and insist that our main concern about the non-expansion of NATO be legally binding. I hope to get something plausible in response, apart from the currently circulating arguments that this does not suit the West,” he said. Lavrov noted that Russia expects a written response. “Let’s see what they will give us on paper, and then we will decide how sincere our Western colleagues are, not in the 90s, but right now, in relations with the Russian Federation,” the Russian Foreign Minister said. Answering the question when this security requirement appeared, the minister stressed that “it has always been there.” “The security requirement was formalized after the Soviet Union disappeared in the form of political commitments made at the highest level. Our Western colleagues used these political commitments for other purposes and did not fulfill them, simply put,” the head of the Russian diplomatic department explained the situation. According to Lavrov, over 30 years Russia has “come to a certain understanding of how to proceed further,” and “nothing will work on promises, some kind of political spells.” Recall, Lavrov also stated that the guarantees of Ukraine’s non-entry into NATO is not enough, since “there may be bilateral agreements with the Americans and the British.” Note, during the press conference Lavrov accused NATO of attempts to artificially lure new members. Корреспондент