Senior Russian Diplomat Tells Media That Washington Has Not Responded to Moscow’s Security Proposals

Dec. 20, 2021 (EIRNS)—Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, in a briefing with reporters this morning stated that Washington has not officially responded to the Russian draft documents on security guarantees with both the U.S. and NATO delivered on Dec. 15. “They [the Americans] haven’t responded yet, we are waiting [for a response],” he said in response to a question, reported TASS. “So far, we have heard various public remarks, mostly from those who don’t represent the U.S., but it’s also important. The crucial thing is to see what Washington has to say.”

Ryabkov stressed that whatever Washington decides, it will have no effect on Russia’s moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles in Europe, provided that NATO also doesn’t deploy such missiles. “We haven’t made a decision to lift the moratorium, on the contrary, the moratorium remains in effect. It was described as a measure that would remain in place as long as no similar U.S.-made systems are deployed to certain parts of the world,” he said.

Konstantin Gavrilov, Russia’s chief delegate at the Vienna negotiations on military security and arms control, during an interview with Rossiya 24 TV argued that NATO will now have to take a serious attitude to Russia’s proposals for security guarantees, because a Russian military response is the sole alternative. “They—I mean NATO—have continued to hit Russia’s sore spots, which they have been doing for a long time. The moment of truth has arrived. Now that we have told them what we think on this score and how we should act, they will have to react seriously, and not dismiss everything offhand,” Gavrilov said. “Their reaction—from [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg and everybody else—is exaggerated. There must be a serious discussion and everybody in NATO is well aware that however strong the alliance may be, it is necessary to take concrete political action, because Russia’s military-technical and military response will be the sole alternative.”