Some U.K. Circles Are Alarmed by Biden’s Offer of NATO Talks to Putin

Dec. 10, 2021 (EIRNS)—Some British circles did not miss the potentially game-changing announcement by Joe Biden, of having a NATO-Russia meeting soon. Both the Telegraph and bne IntelliNews (former Business News Europe), describe Biden’s decision as a major concession to Putin. “Joe Biden’s Offer of NATO Talks To Avert Russian Invasion of Ukraine Is Big Win for Vladimir Putin” is the Telegraph headline, and “Putin Wins Concession from Biden for Russia-NATO Security Deal Talks” is bne IntelliNews  headline.

Since bne IntelliNews co-founder and editor, Berlin-based Ben Aris was a long-time Telegraph correspondent in Moscow, the two media can be seen as related, ergo representing the view of the same faction in the U.K.

The Telegraph article’s author, Russia specialist Roland Oliphant, wrote on Twitter that “Russian diplomats/officials/whoever have been telling me they want this conversation for literally years. I never thought they’d get to have it, but here we are.”

bne IntelliNews wrote:

“Biden said ... that he was organizing a meeting between Russian officials and four other NATO members by the end of this week to ‘discuss the future of Russia’s concerns relative to NATO writ large’ and whether or not accommodations could be worked out as it related to ‘bringing down the temperature along the eastern front’.... The meeting will be seen in some quarters as a major concession to the Kremlin, which has forced the issue by building up considerable forces in its Western and Southern Military Districts that face Ukraine.”